TCC Book VI: Operation Cocoon One
by The Universal Storyteller
Summary: Book 6 of at least 7, if not more. Its series is set mostly during the MK's Silver Millennium! I finished writing this tale in January 2004. Hope you enjoy it at least a little, as you each read it, but it still won't all be peaches and cream, so to speak, for sure! I'm not sure yet just how many chapters will need to be posted for this particular story, though. TUS out.
1. Chapter One

This next story for _The Chrysanthemum Chronicles_ begins the day after several Scouts and two cats finally return to the Moon of AD 987 from the Moon of 174 BC, and it will feature many of the younger people in it already. Several new characters will also make their first appearances for this story series in it, and several things will happen after they do.

This story will take place primarily on Earth for many characters, both old and new. While certain others will stay behind on the Moon, at least for most, if not all, of this story and the one that will follow on right after it. By the end of book seven, we will see a lot of things happen that will not bode well for many sentients on multiple worlds in the Solar System, and many may be captured, at least, if not even killed by the end of that story.

But there's still quite a good length of time remaining before the inevitable fall of the Moon Kingdom comes to pass, folks. So why don't we wait and see what happens next here in the applicable timeline for many people and/or things in it before then, okay?

With no further ado, let's get this show on the road again, so to speak, like a band of gypsies going down the highway, or something, as Willie Nelson sings and has sung in one of his classic songs from so very long ago, everyone. TUS out.

* * *

Main Dining Hall In The Crystal Palace

Moon City, Moon Kingdom, Moon

June 11, 987

Serena Moon and several other members of her current crowd met up with each other just a little while after local sunrise in the Moon City area of Earth's Moon. They all met in the main dining hall of the Moon City local area's Crystal Palace. And Serena met up with four other girls there, as a matter of fact. Serena was a native of the Moon, while the other four girls were each natives and Princesses of four planets that were elsewhere in the Terran solar system. Most specifically, those planets from which the other four girls besides Serena hailed from in the Terran solar system were Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, in fact.

Serena was a friend to all four of the other girls now with her in the Crystal Palace's main dining hall. She'd been a friend to each of them for almost ten Terran standard years of each of their lives, as well. She'd met all four of them on her very first birthday, and ever since, she'd become really close to each of them in her life. Serena was the Moon Princess of the Moon Kingdom, which was ruled by her mother Queen Serenity, and which consisted of the known inhabited worlds of the Terran solar system other than Earth, in fact.

The young girl from Mercury was Princess Amy Anderson. And she had short black hair that often looked like it was actually blue instead of being black. She quite often could be found in primarily blue outfits, as well. She was also the brains of Serena's current crowd, evidently. She was the most determined to learn as much as she possibly could in her life, of all the current members of Serena's own crowd, in fact. She was also Serena's very own best friend.

The Martian Princess had mostly waist-length black hair that she'd normally wear down whenever possible, in her own life. And her name was Raye Hino. Raye was quite fiery with her temper, and she'd often argue with Serena about many things in either of their lives, at least. But the two of them had often found themselves fighting alongside each other in the past against various enemies of theirs. Among any of the members of Serena's crowd who were female, Raye was most likely the one who'd most often call Serena "Meatball Head" whenever they thought Serena was acting quite crazy. She'd often call Serena this at least partly, if not entirely, because Serena would quite often wear her hair up in such a manner that might make many people actually think of meatballs. But among members of Serena's current crowd, there were very few, if any, people who would be more willing to fight at her side whenever the need arose for them both to fight others in their lives. Princess Raye, to Moon Princess Serena, was just like the older sister that Serena would never actually have. For Serena was the oldest child of her parents Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel, in her own life.

The Jupiterian Princess was Lita McKinley. She had auburn hair that she quite often would wear up in a ponytail. But whenever she didn't wear it up in a ponytail, she'd often let it fall down to about her shoulders or so, whenever possible. Among the five currently-present Princesses, she was the strongest, at least in a physical sense, if not in any other sense as well here. And she was one really good cook in her life, in fact. So much so that her food was often quite popular with Serena and other members of Serena's current crowd.

As for the Venusian Princess, her name was Mina Abernathy. She had long hair that she often wore down like Raye would often wear her own hair. But her hair was actually quite blonde instead of being quite black. Of all the aforementioned Princesses, she was usually the one who was the most interested in dancing or doing things of a suitably athletic nature, whenever possible. But when it came to things of a sufficiently technological nature, she was quite often getting herself in trouble whenever she tried to handle them enough in her life. She wasn't what many people might call adept at the use of such things, normally. And she'd often accidentally mix up things when it came to using certain idiomatic phrases or other similar enough sayings, as well, in her own life.

Other planets and moons in their own solar system had Princesses of their own who were actually in Serena's current crowd. But none of those other Princesses were currently present in the Crystal Palace's main dining hall. The other known planets currently in the Moon Kingdom were Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Each of which had at least one moon of their own as well, in actual reality, which also fell currently under Moon Kingdom control.

There were at least a few other known planets at the current time elsewhere in the Terran solar system. But none of them were under Moon Kingdom control. This was mainly because they'd appeared only a few months or years before out of some sort of rather strange spatial phenomenon or phenomena, outside Pluto's orbit around the Sun. This certain phenomenon had been earlier described by at least one other Moon Kingdom Princess, if not more than one, as possibly being some sort of dimensional rift. And the Moon Kingdom hadn't yet been able to find out well enough if any or all of those planets were actually inhabited by sufficiently sentient beings, if they'd ever be able to do that somehow.

The reason why Serena was now meeting up with four of her friends in the main dining hall, besides the obvious reason, of course, was because she was hoping to do something special for her younger twin sisters' shared birthday on the current day. She had five sisters and two brothers now in her life. Two of her sisters had been born eight years before the current date. About six weeks before, she'd gotten five more siblings of her own. Those five siblings had been the rest of her five sisters and both of her new brothers, in fact. Her own eleventh birthday would occur in the next three weeks. She'd be eleven years of age on June 30, 987, as a matter of simple enough fact.

She was already in the main dining hall getting herself some food and drink when her friends entered it as well. She saw them about a minute after they entered the main dining hall. And she soon said, "Good morning, all. I hope you all slept well enough after we got back here last night."

"That was some adventure that we just had in our lives, wasn't it, Serena?" asked Raye, in very short order, as she and the others besides Serena also began getting themselves some food and drink to eat here.

The assembled Princesses had found themselves all thrown back in time with so many other people into the year 174 BC. They'd had quite an adventure for themselves and those other people. All the Princesses who were now here had been thrown back in time by some sort of vortex that'd also done the same to quite a few other sentient beings in the Universe's own history.

Serena said, "You can be absolutely sure of that. It was actually rather nice to finally meet Mother's own mother as a young girl or woman, Raye."

"But she was from a different time than our own, Serena."

"Yes, I realize that, Raye. But it was still rather nice to finally meet her, to put it very mildly. I wonder how Mother will handle being away from her once again, after she'd originally lost her in her own life."

"I hope that she'll handle it with her customary calmness, Serena. Your mother always seems to handle the loss of those close enough to her quite well, from what I know of her."

"That's her public face talking, at least, Raye. She can't generally reveal her personal feelings about certain things she might have to periodically deal with in her life, Raye. You really don't know how much she misses my Dad's mother Princess Ruth. And how much she still wishes that my paternal grandmother were still alive, in fact."

"Princess Ruth left her mortal body behind around the time that you were born, Serena, if I remember correctly," said Mina.

"True enough, Mina. But that still doesn't mean that she doesn't still really miss her in her life. She does, in fact, miss her quite a lot, Mina. She actually helped bring both of my parents together, if they weren't already together, when Mother's parents King Francis XII and Queen Margaret IV were killed aboard one of our ships. She served Mother to the best of her own ability to do so, after Mother had needed to succeed her parents on our Moon Kingdom's throne, for the obvious reasons. Mainly as Prime Minister, I think, before she retired from her service to the Moon Kingdom for the rest of her life."

Amy then asked, "Was Princess Ruth actually hoping to live at least long enough to see you around in actual physical reality?"

"I believe that Mother's actually told Destiny, Bethany, and me, at least, if nobody else besides Dad as well, that at least once, Amy. Though I could be wrong about such things here, quite naturally enough. As far as I know, anyway, I believe that was true for Princess Ruth. At least as it might then pertain to me, if not also Destiny and Bethany, Amy."

"Do you think that if you'd known each other in your lives while you were both alive, you'd have gotten along quite well with each other in them?" asked Lita, after all the Princesses had finally gotten themselves enough food and drink to last them for at least a little while.

"From what Mother's told me, at least, to date about Princess Ruth, I think that we'd have gotten along at least a little bit better with each other than Raye and I often are able to do. She might not have called me 'Meatball Head,' as several of you from my crowd are often known to do. But we might not have always gotten along with each other in our lives, Lita. I think we'd have often enough been at loggerheads with each other, just like I often am with Raye. You girls, especially Raye, really don't like it whenever I bawl quite loudly like I do. And from what I know of Grandma Ruth, she probably wouldn't have liked it either. At least most, if not all, of the time, Lita."

Lita and the other four Princesses brought all their food and drinks to one of the main dining hall's tables in very short order. Then they set all their meals on that table, before they soon sat behind each of them as needed. Lita said, "I don't remember ever hearing that before, Serena. And I've known you for almost ten years now."

"Well, it's been discussed at least once before, I can tell you that for sure, Lita. Whether or not any or all of you have ever heard it before now, it's still been discussed, just the same."

Serena then took a sip of apple juice from her cup, just before she took a bite of some jelly-covered toast she'd made for herself moments before. As she did so, each of the other Princesses then began consuming their breakfasts as well. She also had a few slices of pizza that Lita had made a little while earlier, before their most recent adventure as Princesses in their lives.

Amy had made herself a bowl of oatmeal flavored with some maple syrup and diced apple pieces, cut herself a cinnamon roll from a pan of rolls, and taken some green grapes from a bowl elsewhere in the main dining hall, at least. As for her beverages, she'd chosen to get herself some white milk and some carrot juice. Both of her beverages were in separate cups, in fact.

Raye had for herself a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a banana, a few pieces of butter-covered toast, and some hot dogs. For her drinks, she had one tall glass of lemonade and one tall glass of prune juice, as well.

Lita was herself eating some pizza and several different types of fruits for her breakfast. And her current choice of drink was some cinnamon-flavored green tea. That tea was in a considerably-sized pitcher. And this pitcher was large enough to hold at least a dozen cups' worth of whatever beverage would be inside it at any time in actual reality, if not even more than that, here.

Mina had in front of her as she now sat at the required table some oatmeal and a few dinner rolls, as well as at least one orange, if not more than one. Her own cup was currently at least partly, if not entirely, filled with some green tea from the very same pitcher that Lita's tea had earlier come from. And it might later be refilled with more tea, if Mina wanted more tea then, of course.

"What were you suggesting that we do for Destiny and Bethany today, just because of the fact that it's their birthday today, Serena?" asked Raye soon afterward.

"I was thinking that maybe we could ask Mother if it'd be all right for us to bring them and their special friends Solomon and Renaldo on a trip to Japan today, if at all possible, Raye."

"How might that be possible, Serena?"

"I dreamed of it as I slept last night, in fact, Raye."

"And why only Solomon and Renaldo, if I may ask you this as well?" asked Lita.

"Because Solomon and Renaldo are special friends of my twin sisters, Lita. I suppose that you think that we should also include Ken, at least, for all the obvious reasons, if not also Andrew."

"Well, as a matter of fact, I think it'd be quite nice to bring at least one of those two with us, if we were to do as you might be thinking here. That's so that we could all then see just where Darien lives as well. You can't tell us that you don't really want to see Darien again in the very near future, can you, Serena?"

"No, I suppose not. You girls all know me quite well, I believe, by now in each of our lives, Lita."

"Well, if you want to bring them and their special friends to Japan with us, I think that you should also see if any of our special friends want to go there with us as well." This was from Amy.

"Are you sure that Greg would want to accompany us, if we'd go to Japan together, Amy?"

"He'd probably feel quite left out if we chose not to include him and we included any of our other special friends, Serena. I don't think that we could fairly bring at least Solomon and/or Renaldo with us if we didn't include the rest of our special friends at the same time, as well."

"Chad would want to go as well, if any of our boys were able to go, most likely, I think," commented Raye.

"I don't have a steady yet, I think. Unless, of course, you might consider Steven to be my steady, for any reason at all, girls. I don't know if I'd consider him to be my steady yet. But others might. For I quite often seem to find myself dancing with him whenever we're able to attend balls together somehow."

Mina quite often found herself dancing with a boy from the same place on Venus that she came from, which happened to be Venus City there. Venus City was the Venusian capital city. And it was also the Venusian city with the most people in its local area. The exact center of Venus City was located roughly where the planet's Equator and Prime Meridian intersected with each other, if not exactly in that very location.

"I wonder if Steven might want to join us all if we'd actually be able to get to Japan just as Serena is evidently hoping that we'd be able to do somehow, Mina," said Lita.

Mina said, "Steven was thinking about visiting his family back on Venus in the very near future, Lita. Supposing, of course, that he could get back to Venus City there again soon enough to do so easily enough."

Mina had been born in the main courtyard of Venus City's largest castle just after her parents had both returned from one of their required trips to another part of Venus. Some length of time earlier, they'd actually needed to travel by some sort of space-capable craft to that part of Venus. And until they'd been able to actually return to Venus City in time, they'd not yet known whether or not they'd be able to have her born in Venus City, in fact.

"I think that we all know that Steven is from Venus City by now. Though I don't know if he was actually born in the Chesterfield Castle there," said Raye.

Mina was born within ten minutes of her parents returning to the grounds of the Chesterfield Castle. The Chesterfield Castle had four exterior walls of almost 800 feet each in their lengths. And the walls were an average of about 400 feet high above the surrounding ground terrain, as well, if not more than that. The surrounding ground terrain was a quite large hill, in fact. This hill towered over the area outside its actual dimensions by an average of at least two hundred more feet, as well. Because of that, it was often quite easy for defenders of the castle to defend it and its occupants from any harm at all, under normal enough circumstances. At least when they only had to deal with any number of enemies that couldn't get sufficiently close to them in any direction at all. However, the Negaversers might not be so easy for them to defend the castle and its occupants against, if they attacked from the air, instead of from land.

"As far as I actually do know right now, he was born there. Though I don't know exactly when, if that's the case here for him, Raye."

Mina had been born on October 22, 976, in that castle's main courtyard. And not too long afterward, she'd been given the name of Mina Joyce Abernathy by her parents. She'd been born a Venusian Princess. And her parents were Prince Jason and Princess Penelope. Her sister Aurora had been born sometime later on in her life, and Mina had been on the Moon when she'd gained a new sister.

"Well, if I get a chance to go back easily enough for a long enough time, I think I'd like to be on Mars again for a while, Mina. And if you all could be with me, I think that'd be quite nice, as well," said Raye.

"What do you recommend we visit, if we ever do get to come to your world, then, Raye?" asked Amy.

"At least Olympus Mons, of course. As far as I know here, it's the highest mountain in the whole solar system. Though I could be quite wrong about that here, of course," answered Raye.

"Higher than Mount Everest on Earth?"

"Yes, Serena. Even higher than Mount Everest is, in fact."

The girls talked for a while longer with each other about various things and people that were of each of their worlds or moons, if nothing else as well in their lives. By the time that Destiny and Bethany finally appeared in the Crystal Palace's main dining hall as well, they'd all agreed to ask Queen Serenity if they could go to Japan with each other for a time. But only if they could all do so without tipping off Serena's twin sisters that they were going to do that too soon. As soon as they heard or saw Destiny and Bethany enter the main dining hall, if not even sooner than that, they all shut up about such things.

They spent a little more time in conversation with the twins as they ate as well, or as they cleaned up their dirty dishes or drink containers, quite naturally enough. But they didn't say anything at all about what they were planning to do to surprise the twins later on that day.

After Destiny and Bethany finally left the main dining hall again, Serena and the rest of her currently-present companions then went in search of Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel, in very short order. It took them all until about midday local time for them all to find Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel in the Crystal Palace's Sailor Scout Garden. Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel were sitting on one of the benches in that very garden. They were quietly talking to each other, when Serena, Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina eventually found them there.

Queen Serenity either heard or saw them approaching from about fifteen yards away, after they'd all entered that garden on the Crystal Palace's grounds. When they were then close enough to her and Daniel, she then asked, "What's on your mind, Serena?"

"The girls and I would like to surprise the twins with a trip to Japan for their birthday. They've never been to Japan before, as you should know by now, Mother."

"Nor have the rest of you, Serena. Besides Prince Darien, of course, is there another logical enough reason why you'd like to go there with several members of your Court for at least a little while, Serena?"

"I think it might be a good idea for us all to check on the progress of things there with our joint project, Mother. I know that you don't really like the idea of me and my siblings going off the Moon without you being with us. But I have a strange feeling that you're going to be tied up here for a while. I know that we all are also still quite young in our lives, Mother. But my birthday's coming up, as you very well know by now. And I'd like to spend at least part of it in Kyoto, if at all possible. True, that may not be where our future home might be in the process of being built. But I still really do want to spend at least part of my next birthday in Kyoto, if at all possible, just the same, Mother."

"What of your current grounding punishment that you and Raye are still serving, Serena?"

"Considering what we just went through in our last adventure, Mother, would you be willing to suspend it for at least as long as we'd be visiting Earth as I've just suggested that we do?"

"Someone will have to monitor you both, if I can't be with you while you're on Earth, then, Serena."

"Darien?"

"I don't know if he knows of it well enough by now, Serena."

"Already thought about, Mother. You can write him a message, and give it to either Amy, Lita, or Mina, to have them pass it along to him, as needed. Most likely Amy, I think."

"And what of the rest of your royal Court?"

"If they want to come along, then I don't see why they can't do so."

"Who'd help me cover the worlds of our Moon Kingdom, if you're away from any of them, then, Serena?"

"Well, if I remember correctly enough, several other Sailor Scouts might be available to help you protect them all. Take, for instance, Junior Sailors Spyglass and Tranquility. They've both always wanted to have at least one chance to prove that they can actually be counted on to a sufficient enough degree in their lives, Mother."

"I know of them both, Serena. But they're both younger than you and the twins are now."

"True enough, Mother. But from what I can currently tell of them, they could prove to be quite helpful indeed in delaying our Negaverse enemies' final movements against Moon City, at the very least, if not even more areas of our Moon."

"I don't like having to use such young Scouts for protection details relating to each of our worlds, if I don't absolutely have to, Serena."

"Weren't Destiny and Bethany both actually about seven or so years old when we made them both at least temporary, if not permanent, members of my Court and Sailor Scouts, Mother?" Destiny and Bethany were not only Serena's twin sisters, they were also Sailor Scouts. Just like Serena, Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina all were, in each of their lives. And there were many other women and girls in the Moon Kingdom who were also Sailor Scouts of any currently-known variety, in fact.

"Yes, they were. But still, Junior Sailors Spyglass and Tranquility are quite young in their respective lives. If I'm not too mistaken, both of them are still younger than the twins were when we did what you've just mentioned here, Serena, about a year ago."

"But they were meant to be Sailor Scouts at such a young age, Mother, according to their parents. Even though their parents both realized that the usual life of a Sailor Scout might not often be quite as pleasant as an average person's life might actually be, under normal enough circumstances in them, their parents both realized that those daughters of theirs were actually meant to be Sailor Scouts in their own lives. It hurt them both very much to realize that, of course. But they knew that their daughters were still meant to be Sailor Scouts for as long as possible in their lives. No matter what might actually happen to either or both of them."

"And what if the Negaverse finds out that you're all there, and decides to launch attacks against our worlds while you're still on Earth, Serena?" asked Prince Daniel.

"Then so be it, Dad. But they won't do it, I believe, for at least a while yet. Granted, they may now control at least part of Earth. But we all know that they don't control all of it, in actual reality. They currently have their longed-for foothold on Earth. And I'm certain that they'll use it to attack us eventually here on the Moon. When exactly, I'm not sure yet. But I just have this feeling that they'll do so, someday, of course, Dad. Whether you're still with us all or not, at that time."

Serenity then thought quite deeply for at least a few moments, before saying, "There actually is a way for any of us to get to Earth, without any of us having to teleport there, Serena. And to the part of it that you think you girls should go to, come to think of it. I've only rarely been able to use it since your own birth, if I remember correctly. You'd all have to use certain portals on either end of your trip between Kyoto and Moon City, I think, in order for you all to somehow do so reasonably well, and somehow do so safely enough. I've generally visited Kyoto in secret ever since that time, whenever I've been able to do so. If I've actually ever gone there in such a manner with any companions at all, only Luna and Artemis have ever generally been able to go with me, Serena."

"We were thinking that our special male friends could also accompany us to Japan if and when we were able to bring the twins with us, Queen Serenity," said Raye.

"What would be the point of them coming along, Raye?"

"They could help us check things out well enough, quite possibly, Queen Serenity. Solomon and Renaldo, for instance, could help Destiny and Bethany get around Japan, if needed. And they could also keep their eyes and ears open for us all."

"How could Chad help us out here, if I may ask you this, Raye?"

"He and I could draw people out with our musical talents, for instance. And we could possibly make some profit on the side, at least, in terms of money and information. We might actually be able to find certain things out that we might not learn otherwise, Queen Serenity."

"What about Amy and Greg?" asked Prince Daniel.

"They could both organize and collect the information in usable enough form for us all, I think, Prince Daniel," answered Raye.

"And Mina and Steven, Raye?"

"They could both periodically attend at least a few dances and gain at least a little information that way, I believe, Queen Serenity," answered Raye.

"That leaves Lita and whatever boys from Jupiter come with you to do what, not to mention Serena and Darien, of course?"

"Lita can use her excellent culinary abilities to draw out people, and get them talking as well. Ken and/or Andrew could bring those people that food, and listen in on their conversations at the same time that they do so. In between their servings of those people, they could pass along whatever they've learned to Lita. And Lita could share whatever she's found out with the rest of us, as needed. Serena and Darien could spend time with each other. And they could use the information that we can gather for them to handle things in the necessary enough manners. Granted, I don't necessarily like the idea of Serena hanging around Darien as much as she might need to do here, if we all go to Japan like Serena is now thinking we should do here. But you'll need some people on the ground there to check on things there, if you can't be there yourself. Who better than at least ourselves, then, Queen Serenity?"

"Are you sure enough that your sister and at least a few other Martian Sailor Scouts can help me protect Mars and its own mini-system well enough, if you aren't anywhere at all in our Moon Kingdom, Raye?"

"I trust my sister very much, Queen Serenity. And I suspect that if you'd do the same, as well, we might just find out that she can do so rather well, in fact. She might even be able to find the Blossom Star Crystal that was supposedly brought here to the Moon at about the same time that Mars joined our Moon Kingdom, quite a long time ago. If so, then I don't think we'll have to refer to her anymore as 'Mars Beta.' And we'd be able to call her 'Blossom,' if we'd want to call her that in the future."

"Serena, what's your honest opinion of B.B. Hino?"

"I think she's quite nice, Mother. I think I'd trust her at least as much as Raye evidently does, in fact."

"You'd honestly do that, Serena?" asked Raye.

"Yes, I would. For I know what it's like to be an older sister, as you very well know by now, Raye. I don't yet know if she'll be at least as powerful as you are in your life, of course, Raye. But if you're any reasonable enough indication, in actual reality, I happen to think that she might very well be a reasonably capable protector of Mars and anywhere else in your own mini-system, in fact. Maybe not as capable as you evidently are. But I'd still trust her very much here, if I absolutely had to, I believe."

"I'm so glad you think so, Serena."

"It's my pleasure, Raye. I know we may not always get along with each other, you and I. But I still consider you the older sister I'll never actually have with my parents."

Serenity conversed for a good while longer with her husband Daniel, her daughter Serena, and Serena's friends, before she finally said, "All right, Serena. I'll let you actually go to Japan with whatever other members of your Court you wish to go there with, as well as with any of your special male friends that also want to accompany you all there. But while you're all actually away from here, you and Raye must still be monitored periodically. Just as you earlier suggested both to me and to your father here. I'm willing to suspend completion of your grounding punishments for at least as long as you're all on Earth, because of what we all have just happened to go through of late. But whatever time is still left on your grounding punishments for both you and Raye will eventually have to be finished, if I don't cancel the rest of it, once you get back here for a long enough period of time, Serena."

"That's fair enough, I suppose. Thank you, Mother."

"Remember, Serena, this trip of yours isn't just for pleasure. You'll all still need to do certain things on it for the Moon Kingdom, at least, if nobody else as well, Serena. I'm willing to allow you all to try to have at least a little fun while you're in Japan. But you'll also have to do what you can for the Moon Kingdom while you're there as well. You'll have to periodically check on the progress of our joint project, whenever possible, while you're all in Japan, of course. I'm sure that you can all understand why that'll be necessary here, Serena."

"Of course we can, Mother. For we really don't want to die forever, if you can't save both us and the Moon Kingdom at the same time."

"Good, Serena. Now before Destiny and Bethany are able to find us all here, I suggest that you all, at least, leave this particular garden again right now. For I have this strange feeling that they're on the way here, for some reason I can't quite place at the current time. I'll actually want to see you before local nightfall, if you're all going to do as Serena has just thought that you should be able to do here. Come to my chambers by then, if at all possible."

"Understood, Mother." The five Princesses then wasted no unnecessary time in saying their good-byes to Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel again, before leaving the Sailor Scout Garden as ordered. All five of them soon parted for at least a little while, so that they could all prepare for their upcoming Japanese trip.

They left the Sailor Scout Garden just moments before Destiny and Bethany entered it themselves, while searching for Serena and other members of her current crowd. After they each left it, they went to each of their respective Crystal Palace chambers.

Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel stayed in the garden just long enough to spend a little bit of time with their twin daughters, often conversing with them as then needed, before Serenity said that she needed to check on her five newest children. Destiny was normally blind, while Bethany was normally deaf, when they weren't actually in their own respective Sailor Scout states of being as either Junior Sailor Corona or Junior Sailor Eclipse.

Serenity and Daniel's other five children were three girls and two boys, as already stated some time before. Their last three daughters were Laura, Shari, and Rocío Moon. While their only two sons were Samuel and Robert Moon. And it wasn't likely that they'd have any more biological children besides the eight they already had. That was at least partly, if not entirely, due to the fact that Serenity was now at least 42 years of age in her life, if not even older than that.

Serenity soon enough afterward then left her husband alone in the Sailor Scout Garden. She then went to attend to their roughly six-week-old quintuplets in all the necessary manners. Daniel stayed there for a little while longer all by himself, before he eventually went in search of his brother-in-law Prince Raphael, who was also his wife's only surviving brother of three, and only surviving sibling of five.

Prince Raphael had earlier invited Prince Daniel to go riding for a while with him elsewhere in Moon City's local area. Daniel had accepted Raphael's invitation to do so that very afternoon and/or evening, at least. Which was now, as a matter of fact. For it was now about halfway through the current afternoon.

Princes Daniel and Raphael soon found each other. Then they both went to the necessary stable or stables elsewhere on the Crystal Palace's grounds in order to prepare whatever horses they'd be riding from it not too much later. It took them very little time to get their horses ready for their riding excursion. And they were soon enough off the Crystal Palace's grounds once again.

* * *

Several Scouts are about to leave the Moon again, and go to Earth at least partly on Moon Kingdom-related business, led by Moon Princess Serena. But they won't necessarily be able to enjoy themselves on Earth all the time while on it, for sure. Even though Serena, among others, might really wish otherwise, one of the conditions that Queen Serenity had placed on the trip to Earth for those accompanying her there would be that she'd have to attend to certain other matters while on the planet for the Moon Kingdom. Serena accepted all the conditions that her mother set for the trip, and so Queen Serenity would therefore allow the trip for Serena and a number of others, even if she'd rather have Serena and others safely back on the Moon at that time.

There's still quite a lot of this story to post, for we're only just getting started here, everyone. I'd strongly advise you all to buckle up again, for the next two stories here may be rather wild and all, at the very least. Not only that, I'd again like to strongly recommend that you read all other currently-existing posted chapters for all five volumes now posted in this series, so that you won't be as likely to miss any potentially important details as you continue reading stories in this series. If not any other related series as well, for that matter, folks.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this here. TUS out.


	2. Chapter Two

This is going to be a fairly short chapter, but it still will help set up things for later in the story, just the same. Those accompanying Serena to Earth will depart for Earth at the end of this chapter, and they will be seen on Earth not long after that happens.

With no further ado, then, seeing as this chapter is so short, I'll close this. TUS out.

* * *

Inside Serena's Chambers In The Crystal Palace

Moon City, Moon Kingdom, Moon

June 11, 987

As Serena was getting ready for her later trip to Japan, Luna came into her chambers, in short enough order. For she'd heard rumors that something might be up elsewhere in the Crystal Palace. And she wanted to confirm them to the best of her ability to do so at the current time. She knocked on Serena's door with one of her paws. And she also called out for Serena at the same time as she was knocking on it. Serena soon let her in, of course.

As soon as they both were behind a sufficiently secured door or two, at least, Luna asked Serena, "What's up, Serena? And why are you packing some things here?"

"The girls and I are going on a trip."

"With who, if I may ask?"

"Ourselves and our special friends, whoever they may actually be. It's quite hush-hush right now. Not even the birthday girls know of it yet. And we can't tell them yet. Not even you and/or Artemis, in fact."

"What can you tell me, Serena?"

"Not much, if anything at all. Besides the fact that you two won't be going with us on it. Mother will need you both here with her, while we're all away for at least a little while. She's seen fit to suspend Raye's and my current grounding punishment at least until we return to the Moon, if not even longer than that, seeing as it's quite close to my birthday, Luna. I hope to spend at least part, if not all, of my birthday somewhere on Earth. Though where exactly, I can't quite say at the current time, if I'll ever be able to tell you in my life."

Eventually, Serena finished packing all her necessary things for that trip. And she then told Luna, "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave me alone again. When I want to see you again, I'll find you eventually. But until that particular time, I'd really like you to leave me alone now as much as possible, please."

Luna soon left Serena's chambers again. And she set off for elsewhere in the Crystal Palace. Most likely to find Artemis, for obvious reasons, of course. Luna found Artemis in another garden on the Crystal Palace's grounds, in fact. And that particular garden was the Crossed Swords Garden, as well.

After Luna had left her chambers again, Serena soon went to her nearest bell chain in her chambers. She summoned Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina, at least, if nobody else as well, to them. The summoned people soon enough arrived there. Serena then let them into her chambers as needed, of course.

Amy asked, as soon as they were all behind at least one sufficiently secured door again, if not more than one, "How soon should we tell the twins what's going on here?"

"Not until after we all talk to Mother again, I think. We might be able to tell our special friends, of course. But if we do, we must make them all promise not to tell the twins at least until we've talked to Mother for at least a little while again, if at all possible, Amy."

"They'll suspect something's up, Serena, if we don't tell them what's going on here, soon enough."

"Let them suspect and/or wonder, Raye. At least until they're also brought up to speed by us. I know it may not necessarily seem nice of us to make them do so here. But still, do you really want our enemies or potential enemies to know what's going on with us here?"

"No, of course I don't, Serena. But if they're going to be going with us to Japan, they'll need to know that soon enough before we can all leave here in the way that your mother spoke of earlier."

"I realize that's true here, Raye. And they'll both be told about what's going on here, when the time's right for them to be told that. I really don't like sometimes, at least, having to keep certain things secret. But I still do it whenever I have to, and whenever I can, Raye. I believe the same thing's true for all of you, whenever another one of our birthdays actually comes to us during the year."

Lita asked, "If we wait too long, won't they be quite upset when they find out what's going on here?"

"Perhaps they might, Lita. But that's a chance that I'm willing to take here. I don't really want them to be mad at any or all of us, when they finally find out. But if they are, then so be it. I'll take full responsibility here. If anyone must do so at all, if and when they're mad at us for not telling them earlier what's going on here, Lita."

"You better, Serena, if this plan of yours backfires with them, at least," said Mina.

"I will, Mina. You can be sure about that here, without a doubt. I promise you all this, in fact."

Soon afterward, then, Serena left her chambers with her current companions. She at least temporarily left her packed things in her own chambers when she did so with them. Serena then went with them all to each of their other chambers, as needed, in order to be sure that they were all packed in the required manners, before their eventual trip later that evening or night. Then she and the other girls spent the rest of the time between now and the time they'd have to be at Queen Serenity's own Crystal Palace chambers doing whatever else happened to cross their minds, whenever possible.

By local nightfall in the Moon City area, at the very latest, then, all five of them arrived outside Queen Serenity's chambers again. And Serena knocked on the door of them in very short order. Queen Serenity soon let them into her chambers, of course.

When they were all once again behind a sufficiently secured door, Queen Serenity then asked, "Are all of you girls ready for the trip in question now?"

Serena answered, "Yes, Mother, all of us, at least, are ready to go to Japan as planned. Our things are all still in each of our respective chambers, as a matter of fact."

"You all actually haven't tried to put anything in your things that you all know that you shouldn't bring with you, have you, Serena?"

"No, of course not. We'll have our uniforms and all the necessary other items, of course, when we go there. As well as at least a few other things, in fact. But nothing that you've definitely been known to reject under normal enough circumstances for us all, Mom. For we've begun to get at least a bit of a feeling about what we can and can't bring with us whenever we're not here in Moon City by now, Mother."

"I have other plans for the night. So I may not have enough time to check them all tonight, Serena. Because of that fact, I'm putting you all on your words of honor that you're not going to try to bring anything to Japan that you shouldn't bring there at all, when you go there, if that proves to be the case, girls."

"Understood. We're not going to try to bring anything there that we shouldn't bring from here on our trip."

"You realize, though, that if I later find out otherwise that any or all of you have done so, there'll certainly be certain consequences for you all, don't you, Serena?" asked Queen Serenity.

"Of course we all do realize that, Mother. And Raye and I, of course, don't want any more time added to our current punishment than we still have yet to serve, if we'll eventually have to serve it later, Mother."

"I suppose you're right. All right, then. You will all be on your words of honor, then. If even one of you messes up, then you all will face the consequences here."

"Understood," said each of them, when each of their turns came for them to tell Queen Serenity that here.

"I have other things to do now. So I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd leave me now again for a while. Just before you leave, I'll find you again and bring you to the necessary place elsewhere on this palace's grounds."

"By when, most likely, Queen Serenity?" asked Mina.

"By no later than an hour before local midnight, Mina. In the meantime, please tell all the needed people to get ready for that trip of yours to Japan. You all should know who they all are by now, I'm quite sure here, Mina. If they really do want to come with you on this trip to Japan, they should all be ready by then, at the very latest, to come with you in the necessary way to there."

Then all five Princesses left Queen Serenity's chambers again. They soon found Destiny and Bethany sitting near each other in the main dining hall again. They told Destiny and Bethany exactly what they needed to then know. And Serena then brought them both back to their respective chambers as needed, so that they too could get ready for the aforementioned trip to Japan here. While Serena helped Destiny and Bethany pack for the trip in their respective chambers, Raye and the rest of the girls had their special friends begin to get ready for it in the required manners. Raye found Solomon and Renaldo elsewhere on the Crystal Palace's grounds. She did this after first notifying Chad of the same trip, and she also told them both of it, of course. They almost immediately returned to each of their chambers in it, and they got ready for that trip as well.

Everyone was ready for the trip in question, then, by no later than an hour before Queen Serenity would need to meet with them again. After they were, they all then went to the Crystal Palace's main ballroom, where a ball was in progress at the current time. They soon found her there, and they told her that they were all ready for the trip. She almost immediately turned the rest of the ball over to Raphael and Daniel, who'd returned by local nightfall to the palace's grounds from their riding excursion elsewhere in the Moon City area.

She went with each of them to their respective chambers. And she then helped them load their things onto some carts, when necessary. After she did so, she quite soon afterward escorted them all to the Moonbeam Garden on the Crystal Palace's grounds. After doing so, she then led them all to another underground cavern for a time, until they were all near a portal of some sort.

After doing so, she soon said, as needed here, "You'll all use this portal to travel between Kyoto and Moon City at least once in each of your lives, if not more than that, people." She said this just as she then began setting all of the needed coordinates on a nearby console. She set those coordinates on that console. Then she gave them each some locator bracelets to wear, if they weren't already wearing any. Destiny and Bethany were now actually wearing such bracelets, in fact. Queen Serenity then activated their locators on those bracelets, if they weren't already activated by then.

No more than ten to fifteen minutes later, at the very latest, then, the aforementioned underground cavern was totally empty, except for Queen Serenity, of course. For she'd had everyone else enter the portal so that they could go to Japan in the necessary way here. Several minutes after she'd had them all do so, then, she received an answer from a similar enough portal device on the grounds of Kyoto's own Imperial Palace, back on Earth. After doing so, she then shut down the portal on her end again. And she left again for her own chambers elsewhere on the actual premises of Moon City's very own Crystal Palace.

* * *

Okay, now that the Scouts and their current companions are on Earth, how will Darien and others react to their presences in Japan, once they find out they're now there for sure? Will they be pleased or not, and what will they say and do, when they find out?

To find out, you'll all just have to keep reading on, of course. This story will only cover about three weeks of time, it seems. So there will be plenty more time that will still have to be filled in for this story's timeline, evidently, folks.

And I'm not quite sure just yet how much time Book VII of this story's series will cover either, seeing as that story is not yet completed, as well. It could cover just weeks of time, months of time, or years. But I'm not very far into writing of that story, seeing as it's only about 44 pages long at this point, even many years after I first began writing for it. We will have to see how long it takes for me to complete that story, for sure.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this. TUS out.


	3. Chapter Three

This is the first chapter where we actually see Scouts of any kind in Japan for this story series. They will have already been on Earth before, of course, either because they originated there, or because they traveled there for one reason or another. [See Books II through IV, at least, for more information, please.] But this will be the first time most, if not all, of them visit Japan in the timeline of this story series, at least.

I hope you enjoy the chapter, of course, folks. And that you will comment on it and other chapters for other volumes in this story series, for that matter, as well. But if you choose not to, so be it.

With no further ado, then, let's get back to the story here, and see where it takes us all. TUS out.

* * *

Inside Darien's Chambers In The Imperial Palace

Kyoto, Japan, Earth

June 11, 987 - June 12, 987

While Serena and several members of her royal Court were most likely either conversing with her parents or getting ready for their upcoming trip to Japan, Darien was reading from one of his scrolls. He was doing that for at least a little while, as he was also sitting behind a table in his Imperial Palace chambers on a chair of some sort. Darien was reading a scroll that had to deal with the various characteristics of certain plants that Serenity had sent to him some time before in a message canister sent from the Moon. He'd not yet planted them in the New Moon Garden of that Japanese palace's grounds. But he was quite seriously considering doing so sometime in the near future, if it'd somehow be at all possible for him to do so sometime later on in his own life. Those particular plants from Queen Serenity were now being stored, for at least the time being, in one of his various garden sheds, at least, if not more than one of those sheds of his, on the Imperial Palace's grounds.

He read that scroll for at least a little while, in fact. He only stopped reading it after he got a very strange feeling about Serena and others that he currently knew well enough in his life. He couldn't quite explain it at the current time, as well. But he just had this very strange feeling about those very same people in his life.

He soon went in search of his parents, who were Japan's Emperor and Empress, at least as of the current time. Their names were Emperor Peter and Empress Elaine. And they ruled over Japan from their capital city of Kyoto, whenever they could possibly do so at all.

He eventually found his parents heading back to their own Imperial Palace chambers. They soon afterward asked him what was on his mind. For they'd somehow guessed that something of sufficient enough importance might possibly be on his mind at the current time.

He thought for a few seconds, before answering them. He said, "I have a very strange feeling that we'll be having some visitors here in the very near future. Like maybe in the next twelve to eighteen hours, at the very latest, Father." He said this as he and his parents arrived just outside his parents' chambers. His father then opened them as needed, and all three of them entered those chambers in very short order.

It was nine hours later, time-wise, in Kyoto than it was in Moon City at the exact same time. Serena and the other members of her traveling party might leave the Moon in the necessary way on the day that they might consider to be June 11, 987. But they might not necessarily appear in Kyoto on the day they might reckon as June 11, 987, for the obvious reasons. In fact, where it might be 11:30 pm or so on a particular day in the Moon City area of the Moon, it'd actually be nine hours later, time-wise, than that in Kyoto. Meaning, of course, something like 8:30 am on the following day of the year, quite naturally, for instance.

"How soon do you think they'll be here in actual reality, then, Darien?" asked Empress Elaine, once they were all behind at least one secure enough locked door, if not more than one.

"If I'm not too mistaken here about this particularly strange feeling of mine, I'd not be all that surprised if they show up somewhere on the grounds of this very palace of ours by 8:30 am or so tomorrow. In fact, I think we'd best expect that if they actually come here, they'll be here by no later than 9:30 am or so our time, Mother."

"What do you suggest we do, then, Darien?"

"I think that we should make sure that we'll be able to put them all in at least four or five chambers for at least as long as they're here on Earth with us, Mother. I strongly suspect that Serena and several members of her crowd will be coming here to visit us for at least a little while. And if I'm right, we'll need at least a few chambers for them all to stay in. There'll also be at least a few males accompanying Serena and other members of her Court on their visit to us here, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"Which quite naturally might mean that they'd have to be assigned chambers that are far enough away from the ones that are assigned to the females in their group, of course, Darien."

"Of course, Mother. I think it'd really be a good idea to put Princesses Destiny and Bethany with each other." He then explained why, if his parents didn't already know why by then in each of their lives. Which was quite possibly the case for them, at least up to that point in time for each of them, in fact.

"Okay, Darien. We'll put those two together, then. What about Serena and Raye, then?"

"Separate chambers, if at all possible. Amy and Serena could stay in the same chambers. While Raye could stay with Lita. I have this feeling that we'll somehow also see Princess Sylvia from Israel. If so, then I think we can put her with Mina. If she doesn't, then Mina could possibly have chambers of her own for as long as she's here with us, I think."

"That may take care of our female visitors, Darien. But what of our male visitors?" asked Emperor Peter.

"I suspect that they'll be the special friends of each of those girls, Father. I believe, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here, that we'll be seeing Prince Greg from Mercury, Prince Steven from Venus, Prince Ken and/or Prince Andrew from Jupiter, Princes Solomon and Renaldo from the Moon, and Prince Chad from Mars. Not to mention the possibility that we'll see Prince Rolando from Scotland here on Earth as well. I could be wrong about such things, of course. But for some strange reason, I really don't think that I am here."

"Where do you suggest we put them? And how do you suggest we assign chambers to them all, if they show up here, as you seem to think that they'll eventually do, Darien?" asked Empress Elaine.

"Greg can stay with Steven. Solomon and Renaldo can stay together here as well. Rolando can stay with Ken and/or Andrew, if he shows up here, just as I suspect that he might eventually do here."

Darien's parents considered these suggestions for a few moments. And then Emperor Peter asked, "If Rolando doesn't actually show up, then what about Ken and/or Andrew, Darien?"

"If there's just one of them, they could stay alone in one group of rooms for themselves, while they're here. If both of them show up here, and Rolando doesn't, then they could stay in the same chambers with each other, of course, Father."

His parents looked at each other for a few moments. Then they briefly stepped out of his earshot into another part of their chambers, so they could discuss the matter in relative privacy for at least a little while, quite naturally. He patiently waited for them to return to where he was now sitting on a chair elsewhere in their chambers.

Eventually, of course, they came back to him. Emperor Peter then said, "All right, Darien. Go ahead and handle this matter exactly as you feel that it should be handled here. You now have our authorization to have any of our people do anything that you think is necessary for us to do before our friends get here, just as you seem to think that they eventually will do here, Darien."

"Thank you, Father and Mother. Then, if you'll excuse me, I'll begin the necessary procedures for us to be able to host them here well enough, if at all possible."

"As you wish. You may now leave us to handle things just as you think they need to be done here, Darien."

Darien then left his parents' chambers in very short order, of course. He began taking care of whatever he possibly could take care of, prior to his friends' now-expected arrivals in Kyoto, Japan. No matter what it was, and no matter who he needed to talk to, as he did so, he then began taking care of all the necessary things that he'd have to take care of before Serena and several other members of her current crowd would show up later on.

Needless to say, he didn't sleep much over at least the next few hours, if not even longer than that. He was only able to return to his chambers again for a while after about 2:30 am on June 12, 987. After he did so, he spent most, if not all, of the next five or six hours sleeping quite deeply in his very own bed. Most, if not all, of the time that he spent in his bed, he spent dreaming of the times that he'd previously been on the Moon in his very own life, at least, if not any other times in his own life as well.

He wondered, "Why are you coming here with several members of your current crowd, Serena? I wish I knew why you were coming here with them, in fact, Serena."

Serena didn't answer him, of course, as he wondered why she and other members of her crowd were most likely coming to Japan for the first time in their lives. But he was still reasonably certain that he'd eventually find out, just the same.

He eventually woke up at about 7:45 am local time on June 12, 987. After which he quite quickly dressed in the very same uniform that Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel had earlier given him during a previous visit of his to the Moon, in fact. He hurried to the Imperial Palace's main dining hall. And he quite soon wolfed down a good-sized breakfast. After doing that, he then set off for the New Moon Garden elsewhere on the Imperial Palace's grounds. For his earlier feeling had also suggested to him, at least, if not also his parents as well, that they'd quite suddenly appear there without much, if any, previous warning at all.

He soon sat down on a bench near the main fountain of that garden. Darien patiently waited for the expected guests to show up there quite suddenly. He was currently the only one who was still in that garden. Darien would continue to be the only one there until they all showed up as well.

At exactly 8:30 am, just as he'd earlier expected that they might, a portal became quite visible, just as soon as one of Serena's feet had passed through it enough to make it visible, near enough to where he now was. Serena was the first of her current group to appear completely outside the portal on the Japanese end of it. Her twin sisters were the next to appear out of it. Raye and her male Martian counterpart appeared next. Then Mina, Steven, Amy, Greg, Solomon, Renaldo, Lita, Ken, and Andrew each left the portal as well, in that exact order. After Andrew himself finally left the portal well enough, it then became completely invisible once again, in fact.

As soon as he knew they were all here, he arose from his current bench. Darien went to where he now knew they all were. The first of them that he saw was, quite naturally enough, Serena. She and her current companions were all walking toward him. Even though they didn't yet know it, either. He saw them from about fifteen or so feet away, but they didn't yet see him, at the same time.

He then reached under his uniform's frontmost portion. And he took out a long-stemmed red rose from an interior pocket there. He briefly looked at it, and then he threw it from behind a large rosebush so that it'd land just about six feet in front of Serena's party, when it landed there. He did so while hidden, of course.

Serena was the only one of her party to see the rose as it sailed toward her. But she didn't spot Darien either as he threw it or while it was still in the air, prior to its landing just in front of her. She soon saw the now-flying long-stemmed red rose. And she soon said, very quietly, "He's here, somewhere, people," to all of her current companions here. And she did so almost too quietly for anyone else who was now with her to be somehow able to hear her now say that, in actual reality, here.

A few moments later, after that red rose had landed just in front of her, she quite carefully picked it up, due to the fact that there were actually several thorns on its stem. She looked at it very briefly, and then she said, "Prince Darien, I know you're here somewhere. Though I don't exactly know where we are here right now, I know you're still here, just the same. Please come out and show yourself to us all."

Prince Darien realized almost immediately that he probably should do just as she'd now asked him here. But just before he did so, he first very quietly chuckled to himself. He did so very quietly, quite naturally enough, in fact. And then he left his current hiding place elsewhere in the garden, so that he could show himself to Serena and the rest of her current companions.

As soon as he did so well enough to suit them all, Serena said, "Hello, Prince Darien. It's so good to see you again, in actual reality. It's been a while since we actually have done so, I think."

"Too long, if I read your meaning well enough here, Moon Princess Serena."

"Even one day is actually too long for me, I think, under normal enough circumstances, Prince Darien, to be away from you."

"It's good to see you again as well, Serena. Now I suppose that you should be quite tired out from your trip here from Moon City, everyone. If you'll come with me then, I'll have my brother and sister attend to your things and bring them to the chambers here that you'll all be using while you're here with us all. They're waiting for us outside this very garden, in fact, everyone."

"Fine, Darien. Lead the way, then, if you feel you must do so," said Serena, after first looking at the rest of her current companions. Darien then began to do as he'd just suggested for them all here.

His brother Prince Jacob and his sister Princess Caroline soon met up with Serena and the rest of her current crowd for the first time, if they'd never done so before, in each of their own lives. Then Darien had Jacob attend to the needs or wants of the males in the group, while he had Caroline do the same for Serena and the rest of the girls in it.

He said, just before his sister Caroline led all the girls in the group away as needed, "Serena, I suppose you'll want to talk to me later, then."

"Of course. But I think that first we girls, at least, should have the opportunity to lie down for at least a little while, Darien. For when we left Moon City earlier, it was still June 11, 987. We're nine hours later than you are, time-wise, if I'm not mistaken too much here, Darien. It was about 11 pm or so our time when we left Moon City, I think. So I hope you can understand well enough that we might very well be quite tired right now."

"Of course you might be. Feel free to lie down then, if you feel you must all do so here, Serena."

Then Caroline led all the girls away from the area again. Darien himself soon returned to his own chambers again as well, in fact.

After he did so, he soon resumed his reading of the scroll that he'd been reading on the previous day. Darien read it for a while until he was once again hungry. After he became hungry enough again, he went to the Imperial Palace's main dining hall so that he could quite naturally get himself some food and drink for his lunch. He began consuming his lunch at about 2:40 pm. It took him about twenty or so minutes to finish doing so here.

After taking care of all his dirty dishes and things there again, he left it and began making the rounds elsewhere in the palace. Either in terms of his work in the palace's five main gardens, or his work in whatever areas of the palace's grounds in which he might normally keep all his animals lodged, whenever possible. Those animals included several horses, several birds, a few dogs, and at least one cat, if not more than one cat, in fact.

All his horses that were lodged anywhere on the Imperial Palace's grounds had at least some Arabian blood in them, in terms of their respective ancestries, if they weren't entirely Arabian in them. His birds included several different varieties, whether of Terran origin or not. Serenity had, at least once, given him unhatched eggs from birds that were native to at least one, if not more than one, of the Moon Kingdom's inhabited worlds. Many, if not most, or all, of those types of birds from which those eggs had come actually were falcons or eagles of some sort, most likely. His dogs and cats, though, were all of complete Terran origin, in fact.

He didn't know all the exact names of every kind of dog that he currently kept as a pet. But he knew that he had at least one dog of foreign origin elsewhere on Earth. Specifically from the area of the Adriatic Sea, in fact. He had at least one, if not more than one, Dalmatian, or at least a potential ancestor to the breed that would later be known as the Dalmatian. Other dogs that he had as pets included a Canaan Dog, or at least a potential ancestor of such a future dog. Several dogs of East Asian origin also belonged to him. Dogs like the Japanese Chin, for example. Plus at least one, if not more than one, dingo of Australian origin, in fact. He was still waiting for more dogs to arrive in Japan from elsewhere in the world. Mostly of types that would remind others of greyhounds, for instance, if not entirely of such types.

He also kept as pets at least one Siamese cat, if not more than one, and a few tame enough tigers that he'd saved from harm and taken care of for several years. He'd done so for several years, once it was quite certain that they'd no longer be able to survive out in the wild any longer in their lives well enough. For at least one of them had been at least partially, if not entirely, blinded by various circumstances in their lives, if not more than one of them. Another tiger had found himself in a rather unexpected battle against at least one animal of a different species, while he was changing from a cub into an adult tiger. And Darien had fortunately encountered that certain tiger before he'd either been killed or wounded too seriously by his opponent or opponents in battle. Darien had saved that tiger by firing enough projectiles of various sizes and shapes at that tiger's opponent or opponents. And he soon brought that tiger home again. He took care of that tiger, and he eventually tamed him enough to make it possible for that tiger to be lodged on the Imperial Palace's grounds as well. He didn't tame him entirely. But he still tamed him at least enough to make it possible for certain other people in his own life to take care of that tiger well enough. If and whenever he wasn't able to do so in his life, for at least a little while.

He quite naturally had to keep all the animals that he had who weren't completely tamed far enough away from those that were. He kept his tigers about a quarter of the palace's perimeter away from where he kept most, if not all, of his other current animals, as well. And he only allowed a very certain few other people to go where they were kept, of course, whenever the need arose for them to ever do so at all.

His siblings, for instance, weren't included among those people. Mainly for the reason that if something sufficiently bad ever happened to him, like on the Moon, for example, there'd still be at least one of them who could rule Japan after their parents. Darien might be the next ruler of Japan, or he might not. But if he wasn't, there'd have to be someone else who could take over after his parents were dead in their own lives, quite naturally enough. Meaning either Prince Jacob or Princess Caroline, in fact.

It took him several hours, most likely, to attend to all of his various animals. But he eventually finished attending to them all by 7:30 pm or so that same day.

After attending to them all, then, he soon went back to his chambers again. And he took a reasonably quick shower there. He then donned the uniform that Queen Serenity and Prince Daniel had earlier given him again. For it'd earlier been washed, dried, and returned to his chambers while he was otherwise occupied that very day by any of the necessary people on the palace's grounds. Then he went in search of whoever else he could possibly find of his Moon Kingdom friends, as a matter of fact.

* * *

So now Serena and several members of her crowd are now beginning to visit Darien and his family on Earth. They'll have to attend to certain other matters soon enough, especially after a few of their friends show up in the area as well, whether or not others are with them at the same time. But for now, at least, they're all going to try and enjoy themselves for as long as they can, in any case.

Until the next chapter, folks, I'll close this. There's still quite a lot of the story to tell here, for sure, though, and I hope you all stick around long enough to read it. It's not going to be all pleasant to read, because the Negaverse certainly won't let it be, among various others, but I'll still try to keep it as pleasant as I can, wherever I can, and however I can. TUS out.


	4. Chapter Four

This is going to be a short chapter, but hopefully it will help with continuing to set up the rest of the story and its immediate sequel fairly well. We will see Darien conversing with three Moon girls for a little while, especially Serena. To see what they discuss, you'll all just have to continue reading on, though, folks.

Seeing as this is going to be a short chapter, I'll close this now. Hope you enjoy it. TUS out.

* * *

Rising Sun Garden In The Imperial Palace

Kyoto, Japan, Earth

June 12, 987

While Darien was attending to his animals, Serena, Destiny, and Bethany had discovered another garden on the Imperial Palace's grounds. The garden in question was located exactly two gardens to the east of the New Moon Garden. It was roughly ninety degrees of the palace away from where Darien would normally keep all his animals that weren't completely tamed in their lives. The Rising Sun Garden was directly to the southeast of where those animals would be located on the palace's grounds. And it was at least a few hundred feet or so away from the nearest part of the area on the palace's grounds where he'd normally keep most, if not all, of the rest of his current animals, in fact.

Serena, Destiny, and Bethany soon had found that particular garden, after they'd all gotten at least some food and drink for themselves a little while before then. Shortly after they'd then done so, they began walking through it to at least some degree, if not to a great degree, here. They were walking around it, in fact, when Darien finally found them all in it.

He chose not to throw a rose toward them at this time, as well. Instead, when they came upon each other, he said, "I hope you all slept quite peacefully, in fact, Serena." He signed this just as he said it, due to Bethany's current presence with Serena, Destiny, and himself, of course.

"As a matter of fact, honey, we all did so. You seem to be quite the gardener around here, if I'm not too mistaken here. But this garden isn't apparently the same garden that you get most, if not all, of your roses from, is it?" Serena signed this as well, for all the obvious reasons.

"No, it isn't. I get most of my roses from the New Moon Garden, in fact, Serena. Most of the flowers I am responsible for in that garden are roses of various kinds. I've also been known to grow other types of flowers, such as tulips, irises, and others most likely too numerous to mention right now. I prefer, though, to work on my roses, whenever possible. Fortunately, however, I'm not the only one with the proverbial green thumb who normally resides here in the Imperial Palace, whenever possible. My mother, for instance, does some gardening herself, whenever she possibly can." Darien would continue to sign for at least as long as the four of them, at least, were all still together with each other on the Imperial Palace's grounds, as would Serena.

"And she likes what kind of flowers the most, Darien?" asked Destiny.

"Carnations and buttercups, whenever she can have them, Destiny."

Bethany thought for a moment, after seeing Darien translate that for her benefit at the same time. Then she asked Darien, "Does your mother like chrysanthemums, Darien?"

"As a matter of fact, mums are among her favorite flowers, though not her most favorite ones, Bethany."

The four of them conversed for at least a little while longer with each other. And they did so here until Destiny and Bethany then decided to leave Serena and Darien alone again for a while, and go look for their special friends Solomon and Renaldo. Serena asked them why they didn't want to stay with her and Darien for a while longer. Destiny said, "Because we both think that you two actually need to discuss certain things that might relate to our current joint project. Besides, we have this feeling that Solomon and Renaldo are now looking for us both here. You two have a lot to discuss, we feel. Such things shouldn't be discussed in our presence, Serena. We're sure that you can understand why here well enough. Or at least we hope that you can do so here, Serena."

"Fine, girls. Go look for your boys again, if you feel you must do so, then. But I'll still want to see you again, if at all possible, before we all retire to our respective beds again."

"Fair enough, I suppose, Serena," said Bethany.

Then the twins left Darien and Serena alone again, even though Serena really didn't want them to do so again, here. After they did so, Darien said, "Let's go for a walk, Serena. It seems that we have a lot to discuss since the last time that we got to do so at sufficient enough length. I wonder how long it's been, then, Serena." Darien began walking with Serena not too much later, in fact.

"Since right after the quintuplets' christenings, and just before you most recently left us back on the Moon for a while, Darien, I believe. It seems like it's been more than four or five weeks of linear time since I've last been able to spend enough time alone with you like this, Darien." They both then left the Rising Sun Garden again. And he began showing her all around the Imperial Palace's grounds as much as he currently could show her around them. They did this even as the Moon then rose in the skies above their heads, as well.

Serena said, as they watched the Moon pass through the skies above, "Sometimes I wish that we could marry in this time period, Darien, and live on both our inhabited worlds whenever we wanted to do so."

"In this time period, Serena, I'm now almost 26 Terran years old, and you're about to turn 11 years of age as well. We currently have an apparent 15-year difference in our ages. Don't you think our peoples wouldn't like it very much if we married too soon, considering our current age differences in relation to each other?"

"Maybe so, but still, I expect to eventually be able to marry you someday, and have at least one child with you in the future. It may not be in this time period, Darien. But we'll be together someday in our lives as husband and wife, I'm reasonably certain enough about such things, I'm sure."

"And this child of ours, if we ever are able to have it?"

"I think she'll be a lot like me, of course, Darien. Supposing that we both live at least long enough to make it possible for us to marry and have them, quite naturally. I saw Rini, in fact."

"When, if I may ask you this, Serena?"

"During our last adventure as Sailor Scouts, Darien." As they passed the main dining hall in the palace, she said this. After they got far enough away from anywhere else any other people might be in the palace, she then continued to converse with him. Serena eventually told him all that she could currently tell him here about the Sailor Scouts' most recent adventure, in fact. Darien was quite glad all the Sailor Scouts that'd been sufficiently a part of that particular adventure of theirs had eventually been able to return to each of their respective time periods in the Moon Kingdom's very own history, at least, if not from any other time at all in the Universe's very own history as well. And most especially as that adventure actually related well enough to at least Serena, the rest of her current crowd, and Rini, quite naturally.

After they both discussed the Scouts' most recent adventure with each other as much as they possibly could discuss it at the current time, he then brought her back to the New Moon Garden again for a while. He made as sure as he possibly could that they'd not be disturbed by anyone else there while they were then discussing various things that pertained to at least some degree to their peoples' joint project, of course.

Little did they yet know that Rolando and Sylvia might also possibly show up near there in the exact same way that Serena and the rest of her group had earlier done, some length of time before, while they were still both there. But as of the current time, at least, they were both still quite alone in that particular garden of Kyoto's own Imperial Palace, if they wouldn't always be here, just the same.

They spent at least a little while longer with each other. And they periodically conversed with each other, as they did so. But they didn't do so past about 11 pm local time. Both of them soon retired to each of their respective chambers, as well.

* * *

There are still some set-up chapters to be posted here, as of this chapter. The real adventure for everyone should begin not long after they arrive in Edo, and after they unexpectedly encounter Sylvia and Rolando while exploring the Edo area for a while, I think. But those events are still a few chapters away, if I remember correctly here.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this. TUS out.


	5. Chapter Five

Another short chapter, but it'll still help move the story along, just the same. This may be one of the first times, if not the very first time, that any of the Scouts ever travel on a sailing ship in their lives, or at least it might be so for a few of them, due to the natures of their own respective worlds in the Solar System. Raye, for instance, may have never actually been on a sailing ship before due to her being from Mars, after all.

They will be sailing to Edo on said ship, and then things should start to pick up rather considerably for them and their companions, once they arrive in Edo easily enough. How much and how quickly, though, you'll all just have to keep reading to find out, for sure, folks.

With no further ado, seeing as this next chapter is going to be short, I'll close this. TUS out.

* * *

Kyoto Area Spaceport

Kyoto, Japan, Earth

June 13, 987

The following morning, after everyone in Serena's current group had gotten something for each of their breakfasts, and they'd consumed them all, Darien soon suggested that Amy, at least, if nobody else at all, consider dyeing her hair so that it appeared to be all one color that Terrans might actually have for their hair. Solomon and Renaldo wouldn't necessarily have to dye their hair, however. For they both had hair colors that were quite commonly seen on Terrans. Solomon's hair was all solid black, as was his younger twin Renaldo's hair. Both of them wore their hair in the exact same hairstyle their twin was then wearing, as well. They currently had mostly shoulder-length black hair with some waves in it for either or both of them. The way that many people might be able to most easily tell Princes Solomon and Renaldo apart in their lives was by the scar that was still on Solomon's left cheek. Solomon's scar was mainly, if not entirely, of a purplish-red color in its own nature, in fact.

Greg had all black hair. As did Ken and Chad, at least, if nobody else as well among the males in their current traveling party. Besides Darien, of course. Unlike Greg at the current time, Ken, Darien, and Chad weren't currently wearing their black hair in a near-crewcut hairstyle. Chad was currently wearing his black hair just past his shoulders. And it was currently quite bushy in its nature, in fact. Darien's hair was in its normal hairstyle, as was Ken's. Darien and Ken normally, if not always, wore their hair no longer than about chin-length in each of their respective lives, as well. Steven and Andrew both actually had blond hair. But unlike Andrew, Steven wore his hair at about shoulder-length, in actual reality. Andrew generally wore his own hair at about chin-length, and reasonably short, whenever it was at all possible for him to do so in his own life.

Amy considered this somewhat briefly. Then she said, "That's logical enough, I suppose, Darien. But I don't have any hair dye with me at the current time, I believe."

"Maybe Caroline does, Amy. Maybe not. If not, then I think that you'll have to keep your hair covered as much as possible, while we're elsewhere in this nation of mine. For if any unnecessary people see your actual hair color, they might think that several of you aren't actually from Earth. And then that might make things more difficult for us all, quite naturally, Amy."

"And trouble isn't what we really need right now, is it?"

"No, of course not, Amy. So I think it'd be best for all of us if you'd either dye your hair or wear a wig whenever you're not in your Sailor Scout state of being, Amy."

"We're still not Cadet Sailor Scouts, Darien."

"I figured as much, when you showed up as you did earlier. How much longer do you think it'll be before you can all actually get promoted to such a rank, Amy?"

"Not as soon as we might have been able to do if Serena and Raye hadn't acted up with each other some time ago, for sure, Darien. I strongly suspect that it'll be at least another six months or so before we can all become Sailor Scouts of that particular kind now, because of that fact here."

"How did they both act up with each other, if I may ask you this here, Amy?" asked Darien.

Amy, Lita, Mina, Destiny, and Bethany, at least, told him and the rest of their companions that didn't already know of it about what Serena and Raye had earlier done to get themselves in big enough trouble with Queen Serenity. Or at least as much about it as they could then tell everyone else who didn't already know of it, anyway. Darien had already received the message from Queen Serenity telling him at least a little bit about it. But not everything about it, of course. He learned more about it when Amy and others told the rest of their party about the incident that was in question her, in fact.

Then they all went to where Caroline's Imperial Palace chambers were, for the simple enough reason that something would have to be done about Amy's hair, at the very least, if nobody else's as well. Amy soon entered Caroline's chambers by herself after getting permission from Caroline to do so here. Amy then spent at least the next twenty or thirty minutes alone with Darien's sister Princess Caroline, who then helped her with her hair, of course. When Amy came out of Caroline's chambers again, she had completely black hair, except where there were a few brownish highlights in it. Those particular brownish highlights in her hair had been put just over her ears, in fact, so as to suggest that Amy was actually willing enough to live a little in her life, quite possibly. Maybe not as much as other people might do so. But still enough to suggest that she was willing to try unconventional things every once in a while, if the need or desire arose for her to do so in her own life.

Amy asked Caroline, while they were both still alone in Caroline's chambers, "Why are we now actually putting a few brownish highlights in my hair here, Caroline?"

"So that we can hopefully suggest to others that you're quite willing to try something out of the ordinary every once in a while in your life, Amy. Your bluish-black hair might not seem to suggest that. But black hair highlighted with some brown highlights might, I believe. Believe me, I'd prefer your hair to be its natural hair color here, Amy. But seeing as you're not actually from Earth, some changes do have to be made here, so that you don't find more trouble than you need to while you're here on Earth with the rest of your party. Amy, you all aren't from Earth, if I'm not mistaken here. Darien, of course, I do know about quite well. I definitely know he's from Earth. As for all of you from the Moon Kingdom, I can't say that for a fact, for all the obvious reasons. Serena and her sisters may be from the Moon. And so might Solomon and Renaldo be. But the rest of you aren't from our own mini-system, I believe. Rolando and Sylvia may eventually show up here in Japan later on. And I know they're from elsewhere on Earth, but the rest of you aren't."

"And what if they show up here while we're elsewhere in Japan, Caroline?" asked Amy.

"Then we'll tell them where we think your people may be, if the need actually arises for us to do so. I know you're going to the Kyoto Area Spaceport near here, Amy. And from there, you'll be using a shuttle of some sort to get to various other places in Japan, I'm quite sure. Such as Osaka, for example. You'll land at the spaceport there, if needed. And then change to other modes of transport later on, of course."

"Like what, Caroline?"

"Like your Sailor Teleport power, for example. Yes, I know that several, if not all, of you girls are Sailor Scouts of at least one sort, Amy. I know this because I've seen at least several, if not all, of you in at least a few of my own dreams in the past. Mainly since you first came to the Moon to be with Serena several years ago, if not earlier or later than that here, Amy, I've often seen several of you, if not all of you, in at least a few of my dreams since the first time I saw any of you at all in them, in fact."

"Do you have any idea what might happen if Darien and Serena keep seeing each other quite frequently, whenever possible, in each of their lives, Caroline?"

"Darien and Serena will be hurt, or even killed, by your enemies. I really don't like the thought of Darien being hurt or killed by them, of course. But if that's what'll happen, then it'll happen no matter what I can or can't do to prevent it. I don't think that there'll be any possible way for me to prevent it, in fact, Amy. If something happens to him of a significant nature, I don't think that I'd ever see him again in my life, in actual reality. I don't want to lose him, if I don't have to. And neither do my parents or my brother, for all the obvious enough reasons here, of course, Amy."

"What do you think of Serena?"

"I don't know her very well, I believe. But if she really cares for Darien, she'll unquestionably do all that she possibly can do to be with him whenever possible in either or both of their lives. No matter what the cost might be to her or to anyone else who might be close enough to her in her life, I think she'd do whatever she possibly could in order to be with him in her life, whenever possible."

Then the both of them finally finished with Amy's hair to a sufficient enough degree. Amy soon enough afterward looked at her hair, of course, and she soon said, "This isn't my usual look, in fact. But I guess that it might actually somehow serve our purposes better than my usual look might do here, Princess Caroline."

"That's what we'll all be hoping, quite naturally, Amy."

"How long will this hair coloring of mine last, most likely?"

"I believe that it'll somehow be able to last through at least five or six showers, if not more, before you'd actually have to use it at least once again wherever else you might be at such times here on Earth, Amy. Though I could be wrong about that here, for all the obvious reasons, I really don't think that I am here."

Then both of them soon left Caroline's chambers again, and they rejoined the other people who were still outside them here. Caroline briefly conversed a little more with Darien before she then went back into her chambers to resume whatever she'd been doing when Darien had earlier knocked on her door. Which, in fact, was painting a certain scene that she'd then been seeing through one of the various windows in her chambers.

Not too much later, then, Prince Darien and the rest of all his current companions were all on horses. And they were all soon riding toward the Kyoto Area Spaceport that was located elsewhere in the Kyoto area of Japan. Destiny rode right behind Solomon, while Bethany rode right behind Renaldo. Before it was too late in the particular day then, they all arrived at that particular place. Soon afterward, they were all on a sufficiently large shuttle with their required things and horses, heading toward Osaka, in fact.

Their shuttle arrived just north of the current, if not also the future, main part of Osaka near enough to, if not on, Osaka Bay. They landed quite safely wherever they had to when the need then arose for them to do so. Then they disembarked from the shuttle as needed. As they were doing so, Darien engaged a program of sorts on it to make it go to an undisclosed location, automatically, until further notice. As soon as they were all off it to a sufficient enough degree, the shuttle began going to that particular location. As it did so, it also seemed to vanish quite suddenly into thin air, as a matter of fact.

Darien and his current companions soon came to the nearest docks to them on Osaka Bay. They all eventually boarded a sea-going ship that was bound for Edo. Which would, of course, some length of time later become known as Tokyo, in due time.

That ship would bring them there eventually, God willing. Then they'd eventually disembark from it as well, of course. How long they'd have to be aboard the ship yet, none of them yet knew. But they all still suspected that they'd have to be on it for at least a day, if not more than that, just the same.

* * *

In the next chapter, the Scouts and their companions meet up with Darien's cousin, and they come to an inn somewhere in Edo, where they will base themselves out of while they're in the Edo area of Japan. Things will begin picking up more and more the longer they remain in that part of Japan, and eventually, they will encounter Sylvia and Rolando again while there. They will encounter them in a few chapters and a little while after arriving in Edo, while exploring the area as the need or desire might arise for them all to do so then.

Until the next chapter, I'll close this, then. TUS out.


	6. Chapter Six

Another short chapter, but we will start seeing things really picking up very soon, once the Scouts and their companions unexpectedly encounter Sylvia and Rolando later. But this chapter will have them meeting up with Darien's cousin, who is currently helping run the Moon Kingdom's joint project with the Nipponese Empire, in hopes that more sentients might be savable from the Moon, if and when there is a direct attack on the Moon from the Negaverse, as many people think there will eventually be, in the future.

There will be at least some discussion of certain population numbers, as well, in this chapter, for various populated worlds in the system. And they will also go somewhere that may be a very important place for many in the future, even if it isn't that way at the present time for the late 10th Century AD.

With no further ado, then, seeing as this chapter will also be short, I'll close this. TUS out.

* * *

Edo Bay Docks

Edo, Japan, Earth

June 17, 987

About three or four days later, more or less, Darien and the rest of his non-Terran friends arrived in Edo Bay on their ship. And they eventually docked at the Edo docks there. They'd sailed aboard the _Chrysanthemum_ for a few days, in fact, and the weather was quite pleasant as they sailed toward Edo from Osaka. They all arrived at Edo's docks. And they were soon enough met by a cousin of Prince Darien's there. This certain cousin of his was somebody named Prince Isaiah. He was the third son of one of Empress Elaine's younger sisters, as well. Prince Darien soon introduced Serena and all the other non-Terran members of their current traveling group to Prince Isaiah, if he'd not already done so by that time, in fact.

Prince Isaiah was one of the main people running things with the joint project of the Moon Kingdom and of the Nipponese Empire. He wasn't the main person running things with it, of course. But he was still one of the main people running things with it, whenever possible. And he often helped to handle things relating to that project, whether or not Prince Darien was actually visiting Serena and others back on the Moon in his very own life.

Prince Isaiah had known Prince Darien for most of either of their lives, as well. Prince Darien was about two or three years older than his cousin. He'd assigned Isaiah to the aforementioned joint project not long after Isaiah had turned eighteen years of age. Ever since, Isaiah had spent a great deal of time working on that project, whenever possible, in his life. He worked a great deal on things that related to the whole project, and not just certain parts of it. In essence, he worked not only on the "Operation Kaleidoscope" part of the project, but also on any number of other parts of "Operation Cocoon" as well.

"Operation Cocoon" was the name that the Japanese Empire's rulers used for the entire joint project and everything that related to it sufficiently well, for those people that actually didn't already know that here well enough yet. "Operation Kaleidoscope," however, was the part of it that had to deal with the construction of certain towers in the necessary areas of Japan, at the very least, if it didn't also have to deal with anything else as well that related sufficiently enough to the overall joint project here and now.

The towers would later detect the globes and canisters that'd be coming from the Moon after the end of the Moon Kingdom, if at all possible, in the future. Supposing that they could do so, of course. And then they'd send those containers certain instructions which'd hopefully maintain each of their occupants in a state of suspended animation for an unknown length of time into the future. How long exactly, nobody yet knew for sure, in fact. But they still quite often suspected that it might actually be for about a millennium, more or less, per occupant of each and every single one of those containers here. That was only supposing that Queen Serenity was actually somehow able to save at least a few of the Moon Kingdom's inhabitants, if not a lot of them, by the simultaneous use of her connected Imperium Silver Crystal and Crescent Moon Wand, of course.

"How are things going with our joint project of late, ever since the last time I checked on things here, Isaiah?" asked Darien, as all the members of his current traveling group eventually got ready to ride again, of course.

"Some of the people here evidently have now decided to try to slow or stop their work progress, whenever possible, on our joint project with the Moon Kingdom. It seems that they really don't like the fact that they have to be here instead of being elsewhere in our nation, Darien."

"What have they done, or not done, to not help us here, if you can tell me that here, Isaiah?"

"They've slowed construction on at least one of the necessary towers, if not more than one, Darien. They've also not been transporting things to the necessary locations in this place's local area, Darien, when they should be doing so."

"What do you suggest that we do, then, Isaiah?"

"We could turn them over to the local law enforcement officials, Darien. But then we'd not be able to utilize them in terms of the project for as long as we do so, of course. And we need all the workers that we can get. At the rate that things are currently going for us here, I don't know if we'll have the entire project completed well enough by this time two or three years from now, at the very earliest."

"That's when we hope to actually complete it by, somehow, if I remember correctly enough, Isaiah?" All the members of Prince Darien's current traveling party then began riding with Prince Isaiah toward where they'd need to go with each other at that time.

"Yes, I believe that it is, Darien. Does Queen Serenity still have those dreams and visions that she's been known to have for many years?"

"My friend Serena here could tell you, I'm quite sure."

"She can?" asked Prince Isaiah.

"Yes, she's Queen Serenity's oldest daughter, Isaiah."

Serena then said, "As far as I know, Prince Isaiah, she still has them periodically. And she seems to think that we have only a few more years, at most, before we'll eventually need to come here. At least those of us who are actually able to be saved by her, of course."

Prince Isaiah knew why that might be the case, because he'd known about those dreams and visions of Queen Serenity's for at least as long as he'd been part of "Operation Cocoon," if not even longer than that. He was also one of the strongest supporters of the joint project in Japan's current Parliament, in fact. Where others might not want the Nipponese Empire to contribute much, if anything at all, to the project, he really did want his people to do so, as well. And he quite strenuously supported that joint project whenever possible in his life, no matter what.

"And what do you think of this idea, Moon Princess Serena?"

"I don't like the fact that she has them periodically, of course. Nor do I like the fact that at least a few of the rest of us do too."

"Like Prince Darien, for example?" asked Prince Isaiah.

"Correct, Prince Isaiah. I wish he didn't have them. I wish none of us had them. In fact, I wish we didn't have to jointly work on this project of both our peoples. But we do, because our enemies will come against our Moon Kingdom, and wipe it out, most likely."

"How sure are you of that, if I may ask you this here, Moon Princess Serena?" asked Prince Isaiah.

"Totally sure of that, Prince Isaiah. There's no doubt in any of our minds that they'll most certainly come in full force to destroy us, if at all possible. And when they do, we'll probably not be able to keep them from invading us, and making our worlds desolate as much as they possibly can. Our time is short in the Moon Kingdom. I know it, and so do a lot of other sentients in it. Even if there are people who deny the peril that we're now facing here, many of us know it. Our Moon Kingdom will fall, at least in name, if not totally in actual reality, it seems. Even if we might actually prefer otherwise in each of our sentient lives. No matter what we may try, our worlds who they are able to conquer or destroy won't be the same as they once were in our lives, if they have their ways with them sufficiently well enough. Billions of our inhabitants may very well be killed by them in countless ways. And we might not be able to stop them from doing so somehow."

"How many billions, Moon Princess Serena?"

"I'd estimate at least one or two billion, if not more. That's depending on the actual populations of each of our worlds here in this solar system of ours, if I'm not too mistaken here, Prince Isaiah."

"If they ruin Mercury, for instance, how many do you think they'd kill, at the very least?"

Amy said, "Let me answer this, Serena."

"Fine, Amy. Go ahead, then, if you wish to do so here."

"Thank you, Serena. The last I heard about Mercury's population, including the people on any of its ships or space stations, of course, I believe that the total population of Mercury and its mini-system of sorts was somewhere in the area of at least 280 million, more or less. I believe that there are several Mercurian-founded colonies of sorts on the Moon, or on any of the present Moon-orbiting space stations. But if that's so here, there probably can't be more than about 840,000 Mercurians in those various colonies, if I'm not too mistaken here. For only a small percentage of our people can live well enough off Mercury, its space stations, and its ships. Mostly, if not entirely, just because our people are quite often tied in some likely yet-unknown way to Mercury, its space stations, and/or its ships, if I'm not too mistaken here. I presume the same thing is true for sentients from other worlds of our own Moon Kingdom, as well, Prince Isaiah, to at least some degree, if not totally, here."

"And evidently, you must be among those people who can live well enough off Mercury. Because of the fact that you're here with all of us now, Princess Amy."

"Evidently that's the case. But sometimes, I still wish that I could spend more time back on Mercury, its space stations, or its ships, for all the obvious reasons."

"I suppose that's logical enough, Princess Amy."

"Of course it is, Prince Isaiah."

"Princess Mina, what would you estimate your planet's total population at, including all of your space stations, ships, and colonies?"

Mina thought for a few moments, at least, while she and the others continued riding their respective horses to the necessary location in the Edo area of Japan. After at least a bit of thought, she said, "I'd estimate the total population of Venus, its space stations, its ships, and its known colonies, to be at least 495,600,000 sentients, if not more, based on what I'd last heard about its total population about a year or two ago, if I'm not too mistaken here, Prince Isaiah. And in its colonies, I estimate that about 200,000 or so of those sentients live somewhere on the Moon or on any of its space stations, at the very most. Other colonies of ours are elsewhere in the solar system, as well. And most of them are larger than the ones we have on the Moon or on any of its space stations, I think."

Isaiah considered this, and then he asked, "How do you think your enemies might ruin your world?"

"Probably by poisoning it, I believe. I suspect, though I don't yet know this for sure, if I ever will, that they'll kill as many of us as possible by making our world's atmosphere turn into one that will be a quite unbreathable atmosphere. I also believe that they'll bombard Mercury, at least, in such a manner that it'll be unable to sustain sufficient amounts of life for quite some length of time. Like by leaving countless numbers of craters, for example. And I feel that they might try to do the same thing for Earth's Moon, as well, at the very least. I don't know about any of the rest of the known planets or moons in this system. But I still feel that they'll kill a whole lot of sentients from Mercury, Venus, and the Moon, with similar enough manners, in our own solar system, Prince Isaiah. They won't want to destroy Earth at least as long as we still are around. For they'll still actually need to have a base from which they can possibly attack our various Moon Kingdom worlds here in this solar system. Even I know that for a fact, and I sometimes do mix things up in my life."

"Anyone else want to comment here, by any chance at all, right now?"

The assembled people besides Prince Isaiah looked around at each other for a while, whenever possible, before Bethany, through Serena, said, "I don't really think so, Prince Isaiah. Or at least not about the number of our sentient enough inhabitants that might actually wind up being killed by our various enemies, if nothing else as well. We'd prefer to think of other things, I believe, for at least the time being, whenever possible, while we're still here in Japan with you and your people."

They all conversed to at least some degree with each other for a while longer, and at least until Prince Isaiah brought them all to the general location of where the _Crown Arcade_ might actually be in the Tokyo of the 20th Century AD, if not the exact same location of it. In fact, in that general location, there happened to be a considerably large inn. This particular inn was a three-story inn. And it had at least a dozen rooms in it, as well. The members of Serena's traveling party would likely make this their main base of operations in the Edo local area, for all the obvious reasons, if at all possible. Any expenses that their traveling party actually incurred while they did so would most likely be taken care of by the necessary Japanese governmental official or officials, if the need arose for them to be taken care of in such a manner or in such manners. Those expenses might actually be taken care of right here by either Japanese Prince, if not both of them, whenever it was at all possible for them to do so here.

This particular inn called itself _Chrysanthemum Crown Castle_ , as a matter of fact. It wasn't actually a castle, for it surely wasn't large enough to logically enough be considered one, by most, if not all, of the people that actually knew of it well enough in each of their lives. But the owners of it still called their inn what they called it here. And they'd owned it for many years of their lives, as well.

Little did anyone now present know that this place might actually prove to be where the _Crown Arcade_ might be located in Tokyo. But if it actually was the case, nobody mortal yet knew that here, quite naturally. Just as they might not for many more years yet to come in the future, if they were somehow actually be able to be saved at some later time for the future, quite undoubtedly.

By local nightfall, then, everyone in their current traveling party was settled as much as possible in whatever rooms in the inn they'd been assigned to, no matter what. Serena, Destiny and Bethany took one room. Solomon and Renaldo did the same for a second. Princes Darien and Isaiah shared a room as well. Greg, Andrew, and Ken found themselves together in a room, as did Chad and Steven. Amy and Mina took a sixth room, while Raye and Lita took a seventh, as well. Lita and Raye's room was on the ground level of the inn, as were the rooms for Amy and Mina, and all three of the Moon girls. The non-Terran boys all found themselves in second-story rooms. Except for Solomon and Renaldo, who found themselves in a third-story room near where Darien and Isaiah were also staying on that level of the inn. Darien and Isaiah took a room directly opposite that of Solomon and Renaldo.

They all soon fell quite asleep in each of those rooms. And they didn't generally leave them for the rest of the night, once they'd retired for the night. Unless they had certain other things that they either wanted or needed to do in the middle of the night, of course. All of them slept rather soundly in their respective rooms, in fact. And they generally had rather pleasant dreams in them as they did so, whenever possible.

* * *

There will be one more chapter between this one and the chapter in which we will see the Scouts and their companions unexpectedly encounter Rolando and Sylvia again. Once that chapter is over, it will be almost time for us to re-meet them, for sure. And they won't be the only people that the Scouts will encounter while down on Earth, either. There's still a great deal of the story to tell. Something like three-quarters to four-fifths of it, maybe, at least for this volume, more or less, if I'm not too mistaken here, folks.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this here. TUS out.


	7. Chapter Seven

This will be the last chapter before the appearance of both Rolando and Sylvia in this story. The Scouts and their companions will begin investigating various parts of the Edo area in smaller groups, to gain more information about how things might actually be in relation to the joint project between the Moon Kingdom and the Nipponese Empire, for starters, if not also exploring the area for other reasons as well. They will find out any number of things, and find at least a few places in the Edo area where they could possibly go at various times, while still on Earth and still in Japan.

With no further ado, then, let's get back to the story. TUS out.

* * *

Various Places In The Edo Area

Edo, Japan, Earth

June 18, 987 - June 19, 987

The following morning, then, after they'd all had their respective breakfasts, they eventually spread out all over the local area to do whatever they felt they either needed or wanted to do there. They generally did so by their respective planets, whenever possible. But if they did that, they made sure that they'd not be staying in the same tent with each other, of course.

Chad and Raye went to one part of the local area. While Lita and her fellow Jupiterians went to another. Destiny and Bethany went with their special friends to a third part of the area, while Amy and Greg took a fourth, and Mina and Steven took a fifth. That then left Serena and the two Terran Princes to investigate a sixth part of the area as well.

Of course, when they each chose to investigate all those areas, they did so on horseback, whenever possible, for all the obvious reasons. For it wasn't very likely that they'd be able to do so well enough at the current time if they didn't. Doing so on foot might take quite a bit longer for them than if they did so on horseback, due to the fact that they'd most likely take a lot more time to travel to a certain part of the area on foot than if they rode to that area.

Horses could generally travel faster than most people could on foot, given enough time and distance, normally. And that actually would be the case here, most likely, for all people concerned here, of course.

As they all investigated in the Edo local area of Japan on the current day, they all tried not to get too far away from the inn that they were all staying at, as well. For they didn't want to lose track of each other, at least, if they didn't really have to do so at all, for at least the time being, if not for the rest of their trip to Japan. Supposing, of course, that they weren't native to Japan, of course, like Darien and Isaiah were actually here.

Later that night, they reunited with each other for a while. And they ate their evening meals with each other, as well. They all did this in the main cafeteria of the inn, in fact. They all shared whatever information they'd happened to gather on that day when they'd all gone elsewhere in the local area. And Amy and Greg then began to organize it all together.

Destiny and Bethany told the others besides Solomon and Renaldo that the four of them had found a place where the Sailor Scouts might be able to train with each other well enough while they were still in Japan this time. When Serena asked where that place was, Destiny said, "It's a few miles away from here, and it consists of several large underground caverns, from what Solomon and Renaldo have told me and Bethany, as of the current time."

"How isolated is it from anywhere else in the area?" asked Darien.

"I would say, based on what Solomon and Renaldo have told us both, that it's a rather secluded place, as of the current time. We found that place after finding an unexpected tunnel of some sort leading underground to it. This tunnel was in the side of a large hill. It was hidden from view by a large pile of variously-sized rocks. While we were passing by that hill, we suddenly heard in all our minds, just as if God was then speaking to all four of us, 'Move the rocks you find, and then you'll all find a place where you and your people can all hide, if the need arises for you all to do so while you're in this land.' So we did so, just as soon as we could do so at that particular time, in fact."

Serena thought that over for a moment. Then she asked, "Destiny, did you move any rocks yourself, while you were still blind?"

"No, of course not, Serena. But Bethany and the boys did, while I kept my ears open, in a manner of speaking, so that nobody would probably be able to sneak up on us without us knowing that they were trying to do so here, Serena. Nobody else showed up. After a while longer had passed for each of us, we eventually found that tunnel and those underground caverns that were sufficiently nearby. As soon as we all entered the tunnel, then, all the rocks suddenly blocked up the tunnel again from anyone's outside view. After they did so, several dozen, if not several hundred, lights of various kinds then came to life. We followed the necessary tunnel leading from there, for at least a little while, until it led to a quite large open area. Also attached to that quite large open area were several other tunnels leading to nearby caverns that were located around it at various angles and distances."

Amy said, "I suppose you all investigated just as many of those underground caverns as you could then find well enough, Destiny."

"Yes. It seems to all four of us, at least, that each of those caverns have an average diameter of about 600 or so feet, at the very minimum, if not even more than that, here. And the heights of those caverns quite often are at least sixty feet high from their ceilings to the main levels of themselves, as well, if they aren't always at least that height for each of them here, Amy."

Amy and Greg quite soon took that information down as well, if they'd not already done so by then, of course. And they continued to converse with the rest of their current traveling party. Even as they continued to organize the information their fellow travelers were still providing to them as they all ate in the inn's main cafeteria area.

Later on, then, after they'd all finished eating their evening meals, they began parting from each other as needed for at least a little while, if not for the rest of the night.

Serena, however, eventually decided to sit outside the inn for a little while, so she could watch the nearby skies for a while. She stayed outside it for at least a little while alone as she sat on a stone bench that was carved with crowns and chrysanthemums. The legs of the bench were shaped like castle towers, and on them were the aforementioned carvings. The very top of the bench, however, was completely undecorated, and it was also about twenty feet or so long.

She sat quite near to where the front entrance of the Crown Arcade might later be, as she sat on the bench now in question here. And she thought about various people in her life, at least, if nothing or nobody else as well, as she also watched the nearby skies all by herself, for at least a little while. She especially looked for the Moon when she was watching the nearby skies.

She thought, "I know that the Moon Kingdom will fall. Question is, will it fall before I have a chance to maybe date Darien, at least? I wish I knew, but I don't. I don't know what will happen. But I really do hope that if I'm somehow saved by Mother later on, I'll eventually be able to be with as many of my friends from here as possible."

She then looked around herself for a little while. And before she continued to think about various sentients and things in her life again, she briefly ran her fingers through her hair at least a little bit, if not a lot. She then continued her thinking. She thought, "This place seems to be strangely familiar to me for some yet-unknown reason here. And I really wish I knew why it does. I mean, before I came here to Japan with the rest of my traveling party, I'd never actually been here in real true physical reality, at least, if not in any other sense as well here. I wonder if I'll ever be here in the future, if Mother is somehow able to save enough of us after the Negaverse comes to conquer or destroy us eventually. I don't know why, of course, but I still am wondering that here."

She considered various sentients and things at some length for a while longer alone, before she was suddenly joined by Raye and Darien. They soon asked her what she was doing, and she said, "I was doing some thinking about various sentients and things in my life, you two."

"Mind if we ask who and what you were thinking about here for a while, Serena?" asked Raye.

"I was thinking about our potential future or futures, Raye. Whether or not Darien is a part of any potential future or all potential futures, I was doing so, as I felt the need to do that here."

"Any more ideas on how the Negaverse will try to ruin us, by any chance, Serena?" asked Darien.

"Not that I feel I either can, or care, to share, at least at the time being, Prince Darien. I wish that weren't the case here, but for right now, it seems to be the case for me, at least, here."

The three of them watched the Moon for at least a little while, if they could see it well enough outside the inn currently. After a while, Serena asked, "Prince Darien, is there a way that we can currently send a message canister back to the Moon at least once from here, if the need arises for us to do so?"

"I don't know, Serena. I think we'd have to go to the local docks in order to do that well enough here. But to do so right now, it might be very risky for us to do so. For Isaiah told me earlier, after supper, that he'd overheard some people talking about our arrival here in the local area while we were all shopping for various things today. He'd heard them while you were trying some outfits on earlier today. And he'd heard them while I was standing guard near you. I'd asked him to see if he could find some other items that we could possibly use while we were in this part of Japan, and he'd left me to seek for those things. That way, you could have more privacy to do what you felt you either wanted or needed to do today."

"Like check out some tunics and kimonos, for example?"

"Exactly, Serena. I didn't think that you really wanted us to be in the same exact areas that you were in while you were doing that there and then. True, we may someday marry each other in the future, whether it's in this time period, or in at least one other time period, if not more than one such time period. But we're not yet married to you, if either of us will ever be, in our own lives, Serena. So we had to allow you your privacy."

Raye asked, "Where are the clothes that you purchased today, Serena?"

"They're in my room near where I slept last night, Raye."

"Mind if I see any of them before we go to bed in our respective rooms, Serena?"

"Please let me think about that for a little while, before I answer you, Raye. I also got a few other things for certain other members of our party today. With some help from Darien and Isaiah, of course. But I still have to hide some of them."

"Do you think Destiny and Bethany know what you got for those people in our party yet?" asked Raye.

"If they do, they've promised me that they won't tell anyone yet, if they're not for themselves."

"So you did get things for them, Serena?"

"Of course, Raye. I got at least one thing for you as well. But I can't tell you what it is, or they are, yet, in fact. I think you'll like it, or them, at least a little bit, however, Raye, when you find out what it is, or they are."

"I got things for you and other members of our party as well, Serena. But I can't tell you either what I got for you all. Lita might know what some of them are, of course. But she's also promised not to tell what they might be, if they're not for her, quite naturally enough."

The three friends conversed for at least a little while longer with each other. And they even did so past local midnight, in fact. Eventually, however, sleep began to overtake them. And they had to retire to each of their respective rooms in the inn, before it was too late for them to do so then. Raye went to her room first, and then Darien did so, leaving Serena alone again outside the inn. Serena spent about another ten or so minutes outside after Darien went back in for the rest of the night. And then she too retired for the rest of the night as well.

All three of them were quite soon asleep, and lost in relative pleasant dreams, whenever possible, as they slept in their respective rooms in the inn. Just as the rest of their traveling party's members had already been for at least a while after supper had ended for them all here in the inn. By the time that Serena entered her room again, both of her twin sisters were quite soundly asleep again.

* * *

That's another chapter down. Sylvia and Rolando, at least, will show up in the next chapter. And once they do, things should start to really pick up for many in this story, I think. Hope you're all enjoying this story at least a little so far. It won't be pleasant all story long, however, as evidenced by the Tragedy tag I've placed on this story, for sure. Without saying too much at this point, later on in the story, at least one of the people now in Japan here will have to deal with the loss of at least one person close to them, if not more. Who they are, exactly, you'll all just have to keep reading and find out. This will cause them to power up another Scout level, and perhaps lead to others eventually being able to do the same as well.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this. TUS out.


	8. Chapter Eight

Another short chapter, but we will finally see Sylvia and Rolando appear in this story. If you need to refresh your memories about who they are, and how they relate to this story series here, please read Books II through IV of it, folks. That should help you all follow along better with events in both this volume and the next volume, at least in it, I hope.

We first meet Sylvia and Rolando in Book II of this series, _Meeting the Menace_ , and we see them also in _First Kisses?_ , then we see Sylvia in _A Rather Hostile Takeover_. We don't see Rolando in _ARHT_ , but he should appear in most, if not all, of the remaining volumes of this series, Lord willing, as should Sylvia, I think.

With no further ado, I now give you the next chapter of _Operation Cocoon One_ , folks. TUS out.

* * *

In The Underground Caverns Near The Inn

Edo, Japan, Earth

June 19, 987

After everyone eventually woke up again in their respective rooms of the inn, and they'd all had their breakfasts, Serena soon asked Darien if he thought it'd actually be all right for her and the rest of her female companions to go to the underground caverns that Destiny, Bethany, Solomon, and Renaldo had earlier found. Prince Darien soon said, "I really don't know, Serena. What would your mother probably say if I let you do so without a suitable escort?"

"She might not like it, Prince Darien."

"So why should I let you do so without an escort of the rest of us, then, Serena?"

"Because I really want this to be a day just between me and the rest of my royal Court's members who are now here. At least for a little while, if not for the rest of the day, Prince Darien."

"What if you happen to get in trouble, and we're not around to help you out as much as we can?" asked Greg.

"Well, Greg, you all know that we're Sailor Scouts here, I know. And I think that we can handle pretty much any trouble that might come our way while we're away from you guys for at least a little while. Or at least I hope that we can, of course, Greg."

"You may be Sailor Scouts, as you say. But that doesn't mean that you might be able to stay out of trouble here, for sure, does it, Serena?"

"Maybe not. But I still think that we need to have at least a few hours to ourselves, if at all possible, today, Greg. Besides, I suspect that you'll all want to do some things that require us to leave you alone for a time, in any case at all here."

"When do you expect to be back here then, if we let you girls have some time alone with each other today, Serena?" asked Darien.

"Would 9 pm or so, local time, seem reasonable enough for you, at the very latest, Prince Darien?"

"Fine. But if you're not back by 9:30 pm local time, then we'll come looking for you all, Serena."

"Fair enough, Darien."

Then the group split into two smaller groups, not too long afterward. Even though all of the boys were quite worried that something might happen to the girls that they couldn't handle well enough on the current date, they soon let the girls do what they wished to do on it.

Eventually, then, all the girls left the inn with all the necessary things for the caverns that Destiny, Bethany, Solomon, and Renaldo had found a day or two before. They rode there with their horses, of course. And they soon entered the central large open area with each other.

When they did so, Destiny said, "I think that we should transform into our respective Sailor Scout states of being for at least a little while now, Serena." She said this after they were all off their current horses, in fact. Bethany and Destiny had actually ridden the very same horse there, in fact, for all the obvious reasons, of course.

"Why do you think that, Destiny?" asked Serena.

"Because I think that I would like to explore this area for myself with my eyes. And I think that Bethany might want to hear us talking with each other, for at least a little while, if at all possible."

"Because you're normally blind, and she's normally deaf," said Serena.

"Correct, Serena. You know that we can both see and hear whenever we're in our respective Sailor Scout states of being. And now might be a good time for us to be able to talk to each other without having to rely on sign language, for example, Serena."

"Fine, Destiny. We'll transform, then, if you really want us all to do that here."

"Thank you, Serena."

"Let's do it, then, before I change my mind, everyone," said Serena.

No more than another minute or two later, then, all seven of the girls were no longer just Princesses from the Moon Kingdom, they all were also Junior Sailor Scouts, in fact. And they all were in each of their own current Sailor Scout uniforms, as well.

Moon was in the approximate middle of a circle of Sailor Scouts when each of them again appeared to each other in their respective Sailor Scout states of being. No matter what each of those particular Scout states of being might actually be, they were in each of them, when they again appeared to each other in them all.

Serena was Junior Sailor Moon, Amy was Junior Sailor Mercury, Raye was Junior Sailor Mars, Lita was Junior Sailor Jupiter, Mina was Junior Sailor Venus, Destiny was Junior Sailor Corona, and Bethany was Junior Sailor Eclipse, when they all appeared to each other again in that area. Mercury was between Mars and Eclipse, with Mars being on her right. Mars had Jupiter on her right, while Jupiter then had Venus to her own right. Venus was between Jupiter and Corona, while Eclipse was between Corona and Mercury. Moon was actually facing a point behind both Eclipse and Corona, when everyone else saw her again in the circle. Her six Scout companions were all facing to the inside of the circle as well, in fact, when she saw them all again around her.

Not too long afterward, then, they began exploring all around the area as much as they could do so, whether or not they did so on their horses, for at least a little while, if not a long while. While they were doing so, they were quite suddenly surprised by the quite-unexpected presences of Junior Sailor Skyhorse and Prince Rolando in one of the nearby caverns they were then exploring to at least some degree.

The first of the Scouts to encounter Skyhorse and Rolando in one of those caverns was Serena. And she was quite obviously rather surprised when she did so, of course. She didn't yell, but she did talk louder than she might normally talk in her life, just the same, when she saw them both on two horses.

Moon exclaimed rather loudly, after seeing them both well enough at the current time here, "Skyhorse, it's so good to see you both again for the first time in at least a little while!"

"Don't talk so loudly, Moon. You don't want to bring these caverns' ceilings down on top of us, do you?"

"No, of course, I don't. But I still wasn't expecting to see you again like this, just the same, Skyhorse."

"Maybe not, but neither were Rolando and I, in fact, Moon."

"I suppose not, Skyhorse."

Rolando then asked, "Moon, are you alone in these caverns, by any chance at all?"

"No, I'm not, Rolando."

Skyhorse then asked, "How are your fellow Scouts?"

"As well as can be expected, at least, Skyhorse."

"Who else is with you right now, if I may ask you this here, Moon?" asked Skyhorse.

"Junior Sailors Corona, Eclipse, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, at least, Skyhorse," answered Moon.

"I see. And the other Scouts?"

"We've not seen them for a little while, at least, Skyhorse."

"I see. Is Queen Serenity here as well?"

"No, I can't say that she is, Rolando," replied Moon.

"Oh, well. Maybe we can see her again some other time, then, Moon."

A little while later, then, Skyhorse, Moon, and Rolando joined the rest of the Sailor Scouts who were now here. When they did so, several of the Sailor Scouts were quite happy indeed.

Including, in fact, Corona and Eclipse, who'd actually been thinking of the two people that Moon had just encountered elsewhere in the caverns quite a bit of late. Most especially of Junior Sailor Skyhorse, who was also actually Princess Sylvia Wakefield from Jerusalem in Israel, elsewhere on Earth.

Some time later, then, after all eight of the now-present Scouts trained with each other in the appropriate caverns as they saw fit, they and Rolando eventually began returning to the necessary inn elsewhere in the Edo area of Japan. And they all got there by no later than about 8:40 pm or so local time, as well. By the time that they all did so, then, the nine males from their actual traveling party were already getting their horses ready for the rest of the night. For they'd arrived back at the inn at about 8:20 pm or so.

By 9:05 pm local time, all the girls and Rolando had begun preparing their horses for the rest of the night, just as their nine friends were finishing their horses up at the same time. Within another fifteen or so minutes more, all of their horses were taken care well enough as well. This was because Sylvia quite adeptly helped the rest of her current companions take care of all their horses as needed. That was only if the need arose for her to do so at all, of course, before they all eventually went inside the inn for at least a little while, if not the rest of the night.

By 10:30 pm local time, then, Serena and the rest of her companions were all quite cleaned up and they were eating their suppers with each other, if they'd not already begun doing so here. Those companions included not only all the girls, but also Darien, Isaiah, Rolando, and all of the non-Terran male members of their current traveling party.

When Darien saw Rolando, he soon asked, "Rolando, how are you and the rest of your family's members doing of late?"

"They're all doing okay, at least, as of the time being, Darien. And so am I. This is only my second time in Japan, I believe. And I think the same thing's true as well for Sylvia, at least, if nobody else as well here."

"I've actually been to Japan more than once before, in fact, Rolando," said Sylvia. "If my math is sufficiently correct here, I've been to Japan at least three or four other times in my life, Rolando. But I don't really expect that it'll be the last time that either of us will be here for a sufficient enough length of time, for some reason or reasons that I can't currently explain well enough, I think."

"How are your horses doing, Sylvia, back in Israel?" asked Amy.

"Moonlight Serenade and Princess Caralina have been paired up with each other. I hope that they'll be able to produce at least a few good horses with each other, eventually, of course, Amy."

"But you might not know that well enough for at least a little while yet, of course, Sylvia?" asked Raye.

"Yes, I believe that might actually prove to be the case here, Raye."

"Why is that, if I may ask you this here, Sylvia?" asked Raye.

"Because, Raye, it normally takes about eleven or so months for horses to foal after they're known to have offspring inside of them, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here. I've been around horses quite a bit in my life whenever possible. And I've gotten to know quite a bit about them, because of that fact. I really like being around horses. And I'm already a quite experienced rider on them, Raye. I enjoy horses very much. And I don't think that I'd mind actually becoming a horse doctor, if at all possible, sometime yet in the future. Supposing that I can be, either in this time period or in another one, in fact."

"So if I understand you correctly enough, then, Sylvia, you don't expect Princess Caralina to drop her foals before about May or June of next year, no matter how many of them there are then."

"Correct, Raye. I am hoping, however, that if and when she does drop at least one of them, that at least one of them will have one or more of our Scout colors on them. This is for all the obvious reasons, as you might all expect, if you knew me well enough in your lives. Which I think that you all do, in fact."

Sylvia conversed at least a little while longer with her current companions, before they all finally finished their meals, and began retiring for the rest of the night. Sylvia would be sleeping in the same room as Lita and Raye, most likely, at least as long as she and everyone else was still basing themselves out of the inn, in fact.

Rolando wouldn't be doing that, for all the obvious reasons. But he'd still be staying in Darien and Isaiah's room, at least at the current time, if not for as long as they were all still in Japan. He didn't know how long it would be that he'd be doing that yet. But it was a virtual certainty that he'd eventually do that, because it really wasn't all that likely that he'd be having to spend the rest of his own mortal life in Japan. Unless something that was still quite unexpected happened to him in the meantime to prevent it, he'd leave Japan at least once more in his mortal life, if not more than once in it.

* * *

So now Sylvia and Rolando are with their Moon Kingdom friends and Prince Darien again. Now that they're in Japan, things should start picking up very soon for everyone. But there's still quite a lot of this story to tell, everyone, for sure.

There will be some discussions in the next chapter between certain characters, mainly. And perhaps even a little romance between two of them, where possible and appropriate. Who and where, you'll just have to wait and see, though, for sure. There will even be a bit of girl talk present in it, for that matter.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this. TUS out.


	9. Chapter Nine

Another short chapter, but it won't be too much longer before things start heating up for many in the Moon Kingdom and/or on Earth. After this chapter, we'll be cutting back to the Moon for a couple of chapters, to see what is happening there while several Scouts and their companions are visiting Earth for a while.

Tragic events will soon start to hit a number of people in this story, and hit very close to home for at least one or two of them. I still won't say who those people are, so you'll all still have to continue to read on, and see how they react to certain tragic events that will happen very soon in this story, of course, folks.

Seeing as this chapter is short, I'll close this now, and get back to the story here. TUS out.

* * *

Various Places In The Edo Area

Edo, Japan, Earth

June 20, 987

The following day, then, after all of their traveling party's members had consumed their respective morning meals, they split up into groups by planet or moon, whenever possible. This meant that Amy and Greg went to one specific part of the area with each other, as did Mina and Steven, Rolando and Sylvia, Chad and Raye, and the three Jupiterians, at the very least. Bethany, Destiny, and Serena went with each other as well, without being accompanied by anyone else at the current time. Solomon and Renaldo took yet another part of the area for their own investigating, while Darien and Isaiah took an eighth part of the area for themselves. They all agreed to try to meet back at the inn by local nightfall, at the very latest, if at all possible, of course.

Amy and Greg rode on separate horses near each other, as they headed toward where Crossroads Junior High School might later be located in their part of the future Tokyo local area. Raye and Chad went elsewhere in the area, also on different horses. And where they went might eventually be the future location of Raye's future church or temple, if she was somehow able to be saved by Queen Serenity when Queen Serenity sacrificed her Kingdom and her life in an attempt to save as many of her Kingdom's sentient beings as possible. Mina and Steven rode to the approximate location of the future neighborhood's Athletic Club. And they investigated the area quite well.

Rolando and Sylvia investigated with each other quite near the local docks, hoping to pick up useful enough information that they could then share with the rest of their current traveling party. They also wanted to spend some time looking at Edo Bay, if at all possible, on the current day. That was if they didn't want or need to do anything else at the same time, of course.

While Rolando and Sylvia were with each other near or on Edo's docks, they eventually began discussing matters of a more personal nature to them both, whenever possible. Sylvia asked, "Rolando, do you really think that we'll be able to get married before the Moon Kingdom's eventual end, in actual reality?"

"I really don't know. I mean, you're still only 13 years of age, and I'm about a year older than you are. I really don't know if we'll be able to marry each other before the Moon Kingdom's end. Perhaps if we were both at least five or so more years older than we both are here, we might be able to do that in our lives. I don't really think that the Moon Kingdom will last for more than about another three or four years, in any case at all, Sylvia. I also suspect that when the Moon Kingdom's end comes, we'll be on the Moon, and our enemies will come after us. I really don't know if we'll somehow be able to survive their attacks without God and Queen Serenity's help, either."

"If we do, then what?"

"I really don't know, Sylvia. And sometimes, I wish I did, of course. I can't imagine loving another girl in my life besides you. Or at least I can't do that right now in it, Sylvia, if I'll ever actually be able to do that somehow, in my life."

"What would you like to do now, Rolando, if you can?"

"I'd just like to be with you for a little while, if at all possible, Sylvia."

"Are you in the mood to do some kissing for a while, by any chance, right now, Rolando?"

"Not really. But maybe later on, I might be. Like when we're heading back toward the inn, for instance. However, I'm not opposed currently to us hugging each other every once in a while, if you're not, Sylvia."

"We'll see, Rolando. We'll see." The two of them periodically spied on the activities of the Edo-based dockworkers, whenever they either wanted or needed to do so at the current time.

Eventually, though, they had to return to the inn. They took a rather isolated route they'd found on the way to the local docks back to the inn. And while they were doing so, they also stopped for at least a little while to have a bit of a picnic with each other alongside the route they were taking. They soon found a rather secluded place to have that picnic in. And they conversed for a little while with each other as they had that picnic.

About an hour or two before local nightfall would begin to arrive in the Edo area, they finally finished their picnic. Or at least the edible part of it, anyway. They then sat near each other in that place. And they soon enough decided to kiss each other for a while. Only appropriately, of course. But they still decided to do so for a while.

They kissed each other periodically, and they also wondered what the future might actually hold for either or both of them in their lives. They kissed each other for only about twenty or thirty minutes, at most, before they realized that they'd need to continue returning to the inn. They then quite quickly cleaned up the place where they'd just had their little picnic as needed, quite naturally, before they got back on their horses and resumed their travels back toward the inn.

They were the third group of their friends to return to those grounds, getting back there no more than about ten minutes before local nightfall would finish arriving near and around the aforementioned inn. Mina and Steven had returned first. And then Lita, Andrew, and Ken had arrived later. But still before Rolando and Sylvia did so as well. When they arrived back at the inn currently in question, all the other groups were still unaccounted for.

Serena and her twin sisters arrived next outside the inn, about five minutes after Rolando and Sylvia. Amy and Greg followed no more than about two or so minutes later. Raye and Chad arrived about ten or so minutes after Amy and Greg had. For they'd decided to walk beside their horses the rest of the way to the inn, about fifteen minutes or so beforehand. Darien and Isaiah showed up about another minute or two later, with them both still on their horses. That meant only Solomon and Renaldo had yet to be accounted for outside the inn, once Darien and Isaiah got close enough to it to be seen there well enough by everyone else who was now waiting for them there.

Solomon and Renaldo arrived outside the inn about twenty minutes after Darien and Isaiah had. And when they did so, they were met by quite a few questions, for all the obvious reasons, of course.

They said that they'd encountered an unexpected series of obstacles between the places where they'd been earlier in the day and the inn. Those obstacles had forced them to either go around, or move, any or all of them, as needed, on the way back to the inn now in question here. They didn't like it, of course. But they still dealt with those obstacles to the best of their respective abilities to do so at the required time or times on that day.

Eventually, then, everyone had their suppers with each other before retiring for the rest of the night to their respective rooms. No matter who they might be here, they still did so.

Serena did so last of all of them, once Sylvia had finally retired for the rest of the night as well. Serena and Sylvia had conversed with each other for at least a little while after they'd consumed their suppers with the rest of their current companions. Mainly about boys and men, if nothing or nobody else as well, in fact.

Serena had eventually asked Sylvia how things were going for her and Rolando, quite naturally, for instance, shortly after everyone had completed their meals well enough here. And Sylvia had eventually said to Serena, "Quite well, I think, Serena."

"Did you kiss today, if I may ask you this here?"

"My, aren't we curious tonight, Serena? Yes, if you really must know, we did kiss each other for at least a little while today."

"I see. And I suppose that you both enjoyed it quite a bit."

"Yes, I believe that we did. We settled for some kissing and hugging today, Serena. As I'm sure that we'll continue to do for at least a little while longer in our lives, if at all possible."

"How were your siblings when you last were with them?"

"They were fine, Serena."

"Do they yet know about your romantic relationship with Rolando?"

"I don't know. I don't think they do. But I could be wrong about that, just the same. Ulysses, Rebecca, and Martha have been asking if there are any boys I might know that I might be interested in possibly marrying someday, if I had the chance to do so well enough."

"And what have you told them, for sure?"

"I've told them there are some possibly some boys like that, Serena, in my life. But who they are, and how many there are, I haven't yet told them at all, I think, well enough. They know, at least, that Rolando is one of my friends. But I don't yet know if they actually know more than that about us both, in fact."

"Sometimes I wish that I were at least twice the age that I am now, Sylvia. That way, I could be Darien's girlfriend here. And nobody would probably mind as much, I think."

"Because he's almost 26, and you're almost 11, at least in this time period, Serena?"

"Of course, Sylvia. I can't be his girlfriend here, at least while there's so much difference in our ages, I think. Or at least not right now, I can't, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here."

"And you being his girlfriend might lead to you being his wife?"

"Yes, if things work out well enough for us in our lives, it might. But if so, I really don't think that'll happen at least in this time period, if not also in any other time periods as well, Sylvia."

"And without you actually marrying him, there'll certainly be no Rini?"

"Right, Sylvia. For I won't mess around with him, in any case at all."

"I was hoping that I could marry Rolando by the Moon Kingdom's end. But I really don't think that we'll be able to get married to each other soon enough before then, Serena. We'll just be too young to do so, of course, if I'm not too mistaken here about such things in our lives. So if your mother's somehow able to save those of us who are still on the Moon when the Negaverse comes to either conquer or destroy it, I suspect that we'd have to wait for at least another millennium to get married to each other, if not even longer, Serena."

"I see. And what do you both think of that idea, by any chance at all, Sylvia?"

"We don't like it, of course. But if that's the way things have to be for us, for at least a little while, then so be it. It's not like we're going to be able to do anything at all about it well enough, I think, Serena. Supposing, of course, that your mother's somehow able to save us for at least one future time period, if not more than one."

"Whether or not we're in our respective Sailor Scout states of being, in each of our lives, Sylvia?"

"Of course that's what I mean, Serena."

"What if we can't all fight our enemies on the last day or last few days of the Moon Kingdom?"

"Then so be it. I have a feeling, though I can't explain just why right now, if I'll ever be able to do so well enough, that you'll be forced to refrain from fighting for quite a while as a Sailor Scout, Serena. And if you'd try to fight after that, while you, at least, were still on the Moon, then you might not be able to fight well enough to keep the Negaverse from somehow destroying your Moon Kingdom as much as they possibly could do that here."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you wouldn't be strong enough to fight our enemies somehow, Serena. You might not have as many of your current powers as you currently do, if any of them at all. And when Beryl comes to try to take over the Moon Kingdom, she might go after you and Darien, at least, if nobody else as well, Serena. This, of course, would be for all of the obvious reasons, in fact, Serena, if it was actually true here."

"And what if you're all unable to fight as well?"

"Then so be it. I hope that we're not, of course. But I realize that we very well could be. We all might even be asleep by the time that Beryl blasts both you and Darien, Serena. And if so, we'd not be able to protect you. If so, then it might be up to your mother to do what she can for those of us that she can possibly save somehow."

"If she's able to save enough of us, including you, of course, where do you think you'll wind up eventually?"

"At least in the Jerusalem Zone of Earth, for all the obvious reasons, of course, Serena. I don't know for sure about any of the rest of you, if she'll somehow be able to save any or all of the rest of you. But I still suspect that at least a few of us will be going to Japan for at least a little while, if not a long while, Serena. Meaning at least you and a few others, quite naturally, if not anyone else at all here."

"I believe that there might possibly be at least a few copies of each of us that are sent to Earth, if not a lot of copies of us. Certainly at least one copy, of course, for those that she's somehow able to save well enough from the Moon, Sylvia. I really hope that she's able to save somehow, not only me, but all the other members of my current crowd, at least, if nobody else as well, from the Moon. Which, quite naturally, means you and Rolando, too, of course. You're one of the most interesting people I know that I've ever met in my life, Sylvia. And I think that you and Rolando are quite fortunate to have each other for at least the time being here, if not forever."

"Do you think that any or all of your siblings will somehow be able to be saved by Queen Serenity?"

"I'm hoping that they can be. Even if I'll not be able to live with them in the same family in the future at least once more, Sylvia. I really hope this, even if we'll never meet again in our lives, somehow."

"Somehow, I think that you'll eventually reunite with at least a few, if not all, of them, Serena. It'll just be a matter of time before you can do so in your life, if you can ever reunite with them in the future. I sometimes do see how different timelines progress into the future, in fact, Serena. And in at least one of them, the Moon Kingdom survives. I don't know how, and I don't know why. But it does in at least one, if not more than one, of them. However, in the one that we're all actually in now, I really can't see that actually happening here. Or at least I can't yet do so, if I'll ever somehow be able to do so here, Serena."

"I see. And do you like that, Sylvia?"

"Of course not, Serena. But whatever happens to us, God will still be in control of our entire Universe, no matter what. He created all of it, contrary to what people might actually think, either now, or in the future, if they've not already done so before in the past. In the future, if they haven't already done so, and if they're not currently doing so, they'll think that God didn't actually create the Universe, but that it evolved without His help or His creation. They'll think that the Universe began with a Big Bang. And that, of course, we already know is incorrect, Serena."

The two of them talked with each other for a little while longer after Sylvia had said what she'd just said to Serena here. And then, before it got too late for them to do so and get enough sleep before they awoke in the morning, they both soon retired for the rest of the night.

* * *

We will be cutting back to the Moon for the next three chapters, it seems, before we return to seeing what is happening on Earth with Serena and her current companions. We will be meeting several other Scouts, when we do, and show a bit more of what goes on when Serenity isn't training Serena and the rest of her royal Court as Sailor Scouts, for instance, on the Moon. And we will share more than that in the next few chapters, as well, folks.

Many very dangerous things are about to happen that will begin severely testing Serena and her crowd of Scouts and friends and all, and start to strike hard at the lives that they currently know of in their respective existences, for sure. People and others close to them will be lost, and they will have to deal with the coming losses as best as they can, et cetera, in any case. Things they might have believed will probably be proven not to be certain ways, and certain enemies will become known in time, once certain other things happen, both in this volume and the next one, at the very least. Friendships may be tested, while others may be formed, as things happen, as well.

Until next time, then, I'll close this here, everyone. TUS out.


	10. Chapter Ten

Another short chapter, but it still will be needed in this story, folks. This chapter will have a short discussion mainly between Luna and Queen Serenity in it. It will also provide a bit more background information about how the Moon Kingdom's government is set up, among other important story-related details here, folks. And it will also set up the next couple of chapters that will follow it here as well.

With no further ado, then, let's get back to the story here, everyone. TUS out.

Main Ballroom Of The Imperial Palace

Moon City, Moon Kingdom, Moon

June 20, 987

Meanwhile, while Rolando and everyone else was most likely checking out several parts of Edo's local area on Earth, back on the Moon, Queen Serenity and other sentients were currently in residence in Moon City's Imperial Palace for the first time in a considerable length of time. Among those sentients, of course, were her other five children and her husband, quite naturally. Luna and Artemis were also there by now as well, at least, in fact.

Luna asked Queen Serenity, as Queen Serenity was taking a break from certain various government-related matters for at least a little while, if not a long while, "Niti, how do you think things are actually going for Serena and the rest of her current crowd?"

"I don't know for sure, of course. But I still do hope that things are going well enough for them right now, quite naturally. I wonder if they're all okay, in fact, Luna."

"So do I, Niti. So do I. But you did let them go to Earth for a while, at least. So we have to hope that enough things are going right for them all, at least until such time as we might hear otherwise somehow."

"I suppose you're right, Luna. It's just that I'm missing them again, of course."

"They do need some time off periodically, I'm sure. And since last year, they haven't had as much of it as they might normally need to have of it, I think," said Luna.

"But we can't afford them to take too much time off, if I'm somehow going to be able to try to save them at all, I believe, Luna."

"I know how you feel. Believe me, I do. But most of them aren't yet teenagers, Serenity, if any of them are."

"Sylvia should be a teenager by now, I think."

"Maybe so, Serenity. But there aren't too many other girls who are in Serena's crowd and who are teenagers, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here."

"True enough, I suppose. I hate the fact that any number of young girls might actually have to train as Sailor Scouts as young as they've been having to do here for us. I really do hate it, Luna. And sometimes, I really wish that we didn't have to worry about the Negaverse at all. I know they'll come here to try to wipe us all out, and that they'll probably kill Daniel, in the process of doing so."

"As well as Serena and Darien, at least, of course."

"Especially Serena and Darien, if at all possible, Luna."

"And what of those beings of ours who we might eventually lose somehow, Niti?"

"We'll have to take the chance that we'll eventually lose them, most likely, in order to do what we can to try to protect as many of our other beings as possible. We're undoubtedly going to lose at least a few sentients, if not a lot of sentients, Luna. Whether we like it or not, we'll someday begin to do so, if we've not already begun to do so, at all, before our Moon Kingdom's end actually comes to us here."

"And what if some of our people can't fight, for instance?"

"Then the rest of us who still can must do whatever we possibly can do against our enemies, of course, Luna. I have this feeling that Serena will possibly be unable to fight as a Sailor Scout and still live well enough in this current time period of ours. If she tries, she might not be able to do that well enough here. And she might even be killed by our enemies as she tries to do that here."

"Which, of course, you'll not be able to stand sufficiently well in your very own life, Niti. And that'll then cause you to give up the Moon Kingdom for as many of our sentients as possible, for all the obvious reasons, I believe, in a very short period of time."

"Nothing at all is as important to me in my own mortal life, other than God, of course, as my friends and family are, Luna. Not even our Moon Kingdom. God's the most important being in three co-existing and co-equal persons that there has been, is, and ever will be, in my whole mortal life, Luna. I couldn't somehow save my parents, when their times actually came to them so far away from here, in fact. I couldn't somehow save my now-dead siblings, either. And I may not be able to somehow actually save my husband from a state of permanent enough death in the future. But I'll certainly do all I possibly can do, in order to save as many of our Moon Kingdom's sentient inhabitants that I possibly can save, no matter what the cost might be to me or to the Moon Kingdom."

"Even if it means your death?"

"Yes, even if it does, Luna, I'll still do all I can to save as many of our sentient beings, at least, as I possibly can, from our Moon Kingdom, somehow. Of course, I'm counting all of our Terran friends here, for all the obvious reasons, quite naturally, Luna."

"And the last such beings that you expect to see before you fall asleep here are who?"

"You and Artemis, if at all possible, of course, Luna."

"And who will finish the job once you fall asleep?"

"I have no idea, for sure, Luna. Or at least I don't, as of the current time here, in fact."

"Could other Scouts somehow finish the job here, if the need arose for them to do so?"

"I really don't know. I suppose that if they were somehow off their various worlds or moons, when the Negaverse attacked them all, they possibly could, Luna. I believe that if they're outside Jupiter's orbit, they might be able to do that here well enough, if they can elude our enemies well enough for a long enough period of time. As for those of us from Jupiter's mini-system inward, I don't know about that well enough here, in fact, Luna."

"Because the Negaverse is going to mainly concentrate all their major enough attacks closer to the Sun than Saturn and its mini-system generally are, in your opinion?"

"I believe so. A lot of our strongest defenses are closer to the Sun than they are to Pluto's orbit, if I'm not too mistaken here, Luna. And if they ruin them well enough here, the rest of the system could very well be theirs, if at all possible for them all here. They might even try to destroy Sol, if some visions and/or dreams that I've actually been having the last few days are sufficiently accurate in their respective natures."

"And if they destroy Sol somehow, then what?"

"I believe that the destruction of Sol would cause Sol to at least nova, if not supernova, here. Mercury might be destroyed. Venus might be gone. Earth and the Moon might be gone as well. And so might Mars, as a matter of fact, if I'm not too mistaken here. Which would then leave, at most, of course, just Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in our solar system, if that happened somehow."

"If that happened, then what might be left of our system, in essence?"

"A black hole, maybe, in the middle of it, Luna. The remaining planets might be sucked into it as well, or they might be ejected out into interstellar space with all their moons and space stations, and anything else of theirs that still survives Sol's destruction. I don't really know for sure what might happen in our system if Sol's somehow destroyed by our enemies. But I am reasonably sure, however, that whatever happens, it'll be quite destructive and quite deadly, no matter what it is here."

"So Sol must somehow survive, easily enough, if anybody and anything else at all in the solar system is actually going to be able to do that here?"

"I very strongly believe that'll be the case here. As far as I know right now, the nearest inhabited solar system to us is more than four years away just at a velocity of normal light-speed, which is at least 186,200 Terran statute miles per second. I don't really know what it'd somehow be at most, if not all, possible faster-than-light speeds, for all the obvious reasons, either, Luna. Hyperspace, for instance, can appear to be rather fast to us. Or it couldn't, depending on what the prevailing conditions of it might be at any time anywhere at all in the Universe."

"And if our system is essentially destroyed by our enemies, how do we warn any or all of the inhabitants of nearby systems about our enemies, if at all possible?"

"I really don't know if we'll ever be able to do that somehow here, Luna. But I could be wrong about that, of course, Luna."

Just then, Artemis and Prince Raphael came in. And Raphael soon said, "Sister, the Prime Minister is wondering how much longer you'll be taking a break from government-related matters here."

"Tell them all that I'll be back in about forty or so minutes, most likely, if nothing else happens in the meantime that requires I attend to it as well before then, brother."

"Fine, Serenity. I'll tell them all that." Prince Raphael then left, not more than a few seconds later, in fact. Artemis, however, stayed behind, just the same. Serenity and Luna asked him why, once they were all alone again.

Artemis said, "Several of the currently-present Sailor Scouts were wondering if you'd be willing to train them for a while either today or tomorrow, Queen Serenity."

"Tell them to meet me first thing tomorrow after they have their breakfasts, if they really want me to train them for a while tomorrow, Artemis. It seems I'm quite booked for the rest of the day, at least. So they'll have to wait for a while for me to possibly be able to train them more as Sailor Scouts."

"But Junior Sailors Spyglass, Tranquility, Rising Sun, and Millennium, at least, were hoping that you'd be able to train with them today, Queen Serenity, if at all possible."

"That may not be possible today, Artemis. I expect that these meetings of mine today will last at least until sunset, if not even longer than that here. I hope that they don't, of course. But I still realize that they might actually do so, just the same, Artemis."

"Don't you honestly think Prime Minister Chalotaiki is sometimes quite misguided, when compared to your late mother-in-law Princess Ruth, Serenity?" asked Luna, not more than a few moments later.

"If you're asking, 'Do I think he's wrong about a lot of things?', Luna, then I'd probably have to say, 'Yes, I do.' But if not, then I'd probably have to say, 'Everyone can be a little hard to understand at times, Luna.' I may not like him, personally. But he's still my Prime Minister, at least as of the current time. The members of the House of the Elders actually chose him as their leader. And because of that fact, I had to appoint him Prime Minister."

The three of them talked for a while longer, then, before Serenity had to return to where she'd been meeting several of her government's leaders earlier. She wished she didn't have to do so, quite naturally. But she still did so, just the same.

Two more chapters will follow very soon after this one, before we cut back to Earth again, and see what Serena and others are up to there. We will learn more about the heretofore-unseen Scouts in the next chapter or two, before we cut back to Earth again. And we will also learn about some potentially disturbing things that Queen Serenity learns before we do so, as well.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this. TUS out.


	11. Chapter Eleven

This will be a chapter slightly longer than the current average length for this story, but that's going to be necessary because we will begin to see some new characters in it here. They are currently substituting for Serena and a number of others while they are still on Earth, in terms of helping to protect the Moon, at least in part, if not entirely.

They will be young, for the most part, but they are still going to try and protect the Moon as best as they can, while Serena and others are otherwise occupied in their lives. They may appear more often in the future, if and when the need arises, but that will have to be determined later.

With no further ado, then, I will give you the next chapter of this story here, folks. TUS out.

* * *

Bethlehem Garden In The Imperial Palace

Moon City, Moon Kingdom, Moon

June 20, 987

While Serenity was primarily meeting either with her government's leaders or with Luna and Artemis, at least a few other girls were assembled in a garden that was also on the Imperial Palace's grounds, but at least a quarter of the way around the palace's grounds from the Hebron Garden elsewhere on them. There were four main gardens on the Imperial Palace's grounds, unlike those on the Crystal Palace's grounds, which numbered eight, in fact. Each of those four gardens was, in fact, named after one of four different Israelite cities back on Earth. Those four Israelite cities that had gardens on the Imperial Palace's grounds actually named after them were the Israelite cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Capernaum.

The Jerusalem Garden was along, or near, the Imperial Palace's eastern wall. The Hebron Garden was along, or near, its southern wall. The Bethlehem Garden was along, or near, its western wall. And the Capernaum Garden was along, or near, its northern wall, as well, in fact.

Those girls were not currently in their respective Sailor Scout states of being. But they'd all transform into each of them if they were then able to train with Queen Serenity for at least a while, of course.

The girls who were also the Junior Sailor Scouts Spyglass and Tranquility were no more than about six or so years old, in any case. They were also twin sisters, in fact. Even though they didn't have hair that was the same color currently, they were still twin sisters, just the same.

The names of the twin sisters here were Placida and Questa Starkey. While the other two girls now present here were Tiffany Jacobsen and Sachiko Mikono. The one named Sachiko Mikono was the Junior Sailor Rising Sun. While Tiffany Jacobsen was Junior Sailor Millennium. Sachiko was the oldest of the four girls. For she was about six or so years older than the twins were, and about two years older than Tiffany was. Questa was about twenty minutes, more or less, older than Placida was. But she was still only about six or so years younger than Sachiko was, in any case at all, currently, if she wouldn't always be that.

Sachiko had been a Sailor Scout for about four years. Which was at least a year longer than the rest of her companions had each been, in all their lives. Sachiko had mostly black hair with some light green streaks in it on the sides, when she wore it all the way down as she often would in her life. Sachiko was currently about 4'8", and about 103 pounds, more or less. She was in the middle of a bit of a growth spurt, at the present time. And she'd gained at least four inches of height and about twenty or so pounds of weight in the last four to six months, if not for even longer than that. She'd been quite small when she'd been born, having been only about eight inches long and about two pounds at that time. Periodically, she'd have these growth spurts in her life. And during each of them, she'd periodically gain at least a few more inches of height and at least a few more pounds of weight, in fact. She'd been born with a bit of a patch of light green-streaked black hair on her head. But not much hair was then on her head at all, for all the obvious reasons.

Sachiko could often be found wearing jeans and puffed blouses whenever she wasn't in her Sailor Scout state of being as Junior Sailor Rising Sun. Her favorite colors were red and white. She was a rather accomplished artist as well, with her main artistic interests currently favoring things like painting and sculpting, whenever possible, in her life. Pottery was also one of her current artistic interests. But it wasn't as much an artistic interest of hers as painting and sculpting currently were for her, in her life.

When Sachiko was in her Sailor Scout state of being as Junior Sailor Rising Sun, her shoulder pins were small red suns on gold-trimmed white epaulets of a sort, with one sun on each shoulder. The gold trim on those epaulets of a sort looked a lot, if not entirely, like fringes, in fact, whenever possible. Her uniform blouse was primarily red in color, while her neckerchief was mostly white with light green and black piping along its edges. Her locket opened from the top of it, and it would open to the bottom. Two red suns were present both inside and outside of the locket, with her first initial of "S" being on the outside of the locket, and her last initial of "M" being on the inside of it. Both initials were located between the red suns of the locket, as they needed to be here. She'd trace her first initial as she began to transform into her Sailor Scout state of being, and she'd trace her last initial as she then completed her necessary transformation process, once her locket was completely open as it needed to be here. As she traced her initials as needed, her uniform would then begin materializing around her, of course. Below her uniform blouse, while she was then tracing her first initial, a light green-trimmed red and black miniskirt would begin materializing just as quickly as she traced her first initial. As she traced her last initial, a pair of mostly light green boots with gold, white, and red stripes on them would begin materializing on her feet just as quickly as she was tracing her last initial, in fact. About half a minute or so later, at most, normally, after her boots then finished materializing on her feet, she'd raise her hands as far as she could above her head. A samurai-like sword would almost immediately afterward appear in her hands, with her right hand holding it by the hilt, and her left hand holding it by the blade. Just as fast as her sword would appear, her Sailor Scout tiara would appear on her head, if she wasn't already wearing it, of course.

This particular sword of hers would always be of a size that was then appropriate for her in her life. And it'd normally not be too hard for her to handle it well enough, whenever it appeared in her hands. This, of course, was for all the obvious reasons. This particular sword would have a hilt of steel that had streamers of various colors on it, in fact. These streamers would normally be about four or so inches long, and they'd actually hang from where the hilt joined the sword's blade, as well. Those streamers weren't there just for decoration, as a matter of fact. They were all there so that they could often be used to distract her opponents during battle, so that she or other Scouts that she was with could often do something else against them in battle. No matter what it was, those streamers could often be used to distract opponents of the Scouts in a particular battle that Junior Sailor Rising Sun might be part of, whenever the need or desire for them to be used in such a manner ever arose for her in her life.

The still-young Questa Starkey had mostly bright red hair with some purple and blonde streaks in it, and she was normally about two inches taller and about four pounds heavier than her mostly cobalt blue-haired sister Placida was, in her own life. She quite often favored sweaters and slacks or jeans, whenever possible. While her twin sister Placida normally preferred wearing floor-length or nearly floor-length gowns, whenever possible. Questa could quite often be found wherever many scrolls were quite often kept, if she wasn't actually doing something else at all in her own life. She was also a writer of various kinds of stories whenever she could be in it, in actual reality.

Where Questa Starkey was often quite inquisitive, Placida Starkey normally wasn't. Placida, unlike her twin Questa, was normally very quiet in her life. And she would often talk in a very quiet voice, where her sister would often talk quite a bit louder, in fact. Placida also had several doves of her own that she kept as pets. Gardening was also one of her main interests in her life, whenever she wasn't otherwise occupied with other people and things in her life. Her hair was mostly of a cobalt blue color, except where some pink and crimson streaks appeared in it near her ears. Those streaks were just above her ears, in her mostly chin-length hair, unlike the streaks that were normally in her twin's mostly bright red hair, which ran essentially from her forehead back to about the middle of her shoulders. Placida's streaks ran mostly horizontally, while her twin's ran mostly vertically, if not totally for either or both of them here, in their hair.

When each of them were actually in their respective Sailor Scout states of being, they were either Junior Sailor Spyglass or Junior Sailor Tranquility, as the case might be for each of them here. And both of them would appear to be at least twice as old as they actually were in their lives, at least for as long as they were in their respective Sailor Scout states of being. That'd probably always be the case for either or both of them at least until the Moon Kingdom's end came, if not even longer than that, as well. Or at least as far as anyone else might then know in their very own lives, that might be the case here for them, at least.

Questa's Sailor Scout uniform normally consisted of a mostly black scooped-neck sweater with some bright red and gold piping on it, a mostly purple neckerchief, a mostly navy blue miniskirt with silver and orange lace trim, and mostly black sneakers, not to mention the required power locket. The neckerchief, for example, was mostly purple with aquamarine piping on it, whenever possible, along its normally visible edges. The uniform's mostly black sweater had mostly creamy white epaulets of a sort on it, and those mostly creamy white epaulets of a sort were both in the approximate shape of large six-pointed stars, in fact. The epaulets had red and gold trim on them as well along their edges. In the middle of each star-like epaulet, there was an appropriately-sized pin that was basically in the shape of a telescope, and that particular telescope-shaped pin was mostly purple with red or gold lines wherever they were actually needed on it. As for her own miniskirt, it was mostly navy blue denim in nature where it didn't have any silver or orange lace trim on it. And where her sneakers weren't actually black, they generally were either white or turquoise blue, in color. Her sneakers had turquoise blue soles and various white areas on them, as well, in fact.

When Questa transformed into her Sailor Scout state of being, the front of her locket would de-materialize, and re-materialize moments later just above the middle of her Sailor Scout tiara. A red and purple-streaked stone would be in the middle of the tiara at its approximate midpoint, not counting the part of her power locket located just above it, in fact. This stone was some sort of cross between an amethyst and a red ruby, as well.

As for Placida, when she transformed into her own Sailor Scout state of being as Junior Sailor Tranquility, the main colors for her uniform were white, crimson, cobalt blue, and pink. Other colors were only present on the uniform whenever the need actually arose for them to have to be there, as a matter of fact, as well.

Her shoulder pins were of mostly white doves. And both of those doves were facing toward her neck, whenever possible, on her shoulders. Her uniform's blouse was mainly white with cobalt blue and pink piping, while her own neckerchief was a mostly crimson one with even more white doves on it. Her miniskirt was mostly white with cobalt blue and light brown trim, as well. Her footwear as Junior Sailor Tranquility quite often was a pair of mostly cobalt blue high-cut boots with black, white, and/or pink trim as necessary on them both, in fact. Her own power locket would be just above the knot in her neckerchief, as well. Her tiara was gold, just like all the other Sailor Scouts' tiaras were, of course. In its approximate middle, a turquoise blue-streaked jewel of some currently-unknown type, most likely, and which was a jewel that was mainly of a brownish color, was in the appropriate location on it.

Junior Sailor Spyglass had various items and powers at her disposal as a Sailor Scout. But not very many, due to her still-young age in her life, of course. Among the things that she'd use whenever possible in battle would be any number of mirrors to focus her attacks or the attacks of other Scouts against their various enemies. These mirrors would be of whatever size or sizes that they had to be at such times, for all the obvious reasons. She also had the ability to turn her tiara into any number of items whenever the need or desire arose for her to do so at all. Items such as a spyglass or a telescope, for instance. She could use those items to spy on their enemies, if she wanted to and could do so, even from a quite considerable distance from those enemies, in fact.

As for Junior Sailor Tranquility, her various powers and items were mainly used only for defensive purposes, whenever possible. Her powers were much like Amy's either were currently or like Amy's would be, as well. They were sort of a combination of several other Scouts' various powers, in actual reality. In some respects, they were quite like at least one power of Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Corona, Eclipse, and Skyhorse, at the very least, if not more than one power from each of those Scouts. In others, they were quite unlike powers from each of those Scouts, as well. Tranquility had a power much like Moon's Silver Moon Star Blast power. But instead of attacking her opponents with stars and moons, she'd go after them by using comet-like arrows she'd shoot at them with several bows of various sizes and kinds. If they ever would happen to attack her, or anyone else close enough to her, in any battle, she'd then try to protect herself and/or them with shields of various sizes, shapes, and types, quite naturally, for all the obvious reasons, of course. She was expected to be a reasonably strong Sailor Scout sometime yet in the future, if at all possible. But only time would tell if that would actually ever be the case for her at all, quite naturally. She wasn't really all that strong at the current time in her life, when compared to any number of older Sailor Scouts. But she was still at least a little powerful as a Sailor Scout, just the same, in her own life, just as her sister actually was as well.

As for Tiffany Jacobsen, she was the Junior Sailor Scout Millennium. And she was a girl with nearly waist-length mostly black hair that she normally would wear down, whenever possible. Her hair wasn't all black. For in it, there were various streaks of auburn, dark brown, bright red, light pink, medium purple, and golden brown hair in mostly vertical stripes of some sort that ran from her forehead to the very bottom of it. Her hair was normally quite straight, whenever it was worn down enough for her. And whenever it was actually bound enough, which wasn't all that often, normally, she'd normally put hairbows in it that were colored many different colors, in fact. She had been known, however, to at least occasionally wear her hair in some braids or some sort of bun, whenever the need actually arose for her to do so at all in her life.

Her favorite kinds of clothes to wear were T-shirts and shorts, whenever she could possibly wear them at all, as well, in her life. But she wasn't always able to wear such attire whenever she wasn't in her Sailor Scout state of being as Junior Sailor Millennium. Her Sailor Scout uniform looked quite a bit like the future uniforms that Serena and others might actually ever wear in the future, after the Moon Kingdom's end, if not also before the end of it, in fact. However, instead of her wearing skirts that were so short, her Sailor Scout skirt would fall to at least the middle of her thighs, if not even lower than that. Yes, it might still be a miniskirt. But it still wouldn't be very short indeed, in any case at all here. Her skirt would be a skirt of several different colors, in fact. The colors of that skirt would be, from hem to waist, most likely, pink, fire engine red, orange, yellow, hunter green, royal blue, indigo, and violet, at least, if not also any other colors at all. Most likely eight colors at the very least, if not any others as well, in any case at all, quite naturally. More colors would actually be on her skirt than Super Sailor Rainbow had actually had on hers when she'd been a Scout so many long years ago, in fact. But her Scout blouse's primary color under her mostly pink neckerchief was teal, whenever possible. Other colors on her Scout blouse included any or all of the colors that were actually in her hair, as a matter of fact.

She'd often wear various kinds of earrings as the need or desire for her to do that arose for her. She'd often use earrings and other kinds of jewelry as weapons, in fact. She could often make various pieces of her jewelry into various kinds of weapons, whenever she was in her Sailor Scout state of being as Junior Sailor Millennium, as well. She'd been known to turn earrings into shields or various kinds of bladed weapons in the past at least once or twice before, as a matter of fact. She'd actually also turned any number of necklaces into chains of various kinds. And any number of pendants into grenade-like items, by the same token, at least a few times before in her own life as Junior Sailor Millennium. Needless to say, she was rather good at turning various things that she might wear either as a young girl or as a Sailor Scout into various other things that were of at least some use to her or others who were close enough to her in her life. And for that, many other people who were close enough to her in her life were quite glad, for the obvious reasons, of course.

When she was in her Scout state of being, her height was at least three or four inches taller than it was whenever she wasn't in it. And she was at least a few pounds heavier than she normally was, as well. She was at least Sachiko's height and weight, if not taller and/or heavier, whenever she was Junior Sailor Millennium. While Sachiko was actually the same height and weight in her own Sailor Scout state of being as Junior Sailor Rising Sun that she was whenever she wasn't in her own Sailor Scout state of being as Junior Sailor Rising Sun, unlike Tiffany/Millennium.

When all four of the girls were in their respective Sailor Scout states of being, their hair never changed colors or changed its general look. Or at least they very rarely did either or both of those things, as a matter of fact. And never automatically in any case at all, however.

At the current time, though, none of the girls were in their own respective Sailor Scout states of being, as already stated. They were talking to each other about Queen Serenity and several other Scouts, at the very least. And they all were now wondering if they'd actually be able to train with Serenity later on that day or the next one.

Sachiko said, "Tiffany, I wonder if Queen Serenity will be training with us at any time today or tonight."

Tiffany examined several nearby flowers in the garden quite closely, before she made another comment of her own, in fact. She eventually said, "I don't really think so, Sachiko, for Prince Raphael and Artemis thought that she might be quite tied up, in a manner of speaking, for at least a little while today and/or tonight."

"So what should we do in the meantime, if we don't get to train with her at all today or tonight, Tiffi?"

"Well, Chiko, I suppose that we could find something else to do that we'd all like well enough her, if that's the case," answered Tiffany.

"What about going to a ball tonight somewhere?" asked Sachiko.

"I don't think there'll be at least one being held anywhere in Moon City tonight, Chiko," said Tiffany.

"I see. Could we go to Rainbow Springs, then, Questa?"

"No, I don't think so. We're most likely needed on this side of the Moon while the Moon Princess and several members of her crowd are visiting the Earth for at least a little while, Sachiko."

"Does that mean that we can't, for instance, go to Tranquility City to see at least a few games of soccer, basketball, or ice hockey, Questa?"

"I believe that it very well might mean that, Sachiko. Placida might not like that very much, in fact. For it's been a while since she's been able to visit a few of our relatives in that area of the Moon. And those are her three favorite sports, if I'm not too mistaken, here in her very own mortal life."

"You're right, Questa. They actually are my favorite sports, as a matter of fact. I don't get to see them quite as often anymore as I was able to see them before I became a Sailor Scout a while ago, Questa," said Placida, not more than a few moments later, as she began checking out a few of the nearby rosebushes as much as she could then do so here.

"Couldn't we go there anyway to see our relatives or those games, Placida?" asked Questa.

"I don't think so, even though I might prefer to do either or both of those things here, Questa. Maybe there'll be other times that we can do that in our lives. But that doesn't seem to be the case here for us all right now."

The four girls conversed with each other for a while longer. And they eventually decided to go to Tiffany's Imperial Palace chambers for the rest of the night. This was because they'd decided to have a sleepover there. And when they got there, they saw several outfits that Tiffany was currently working on as a fashion designer. Those outfits might not actually end up looking as they currently looked on their various stands or models. But they were still being worked on periodically by Tiffany whenever possible, just the same. Tiffany was also hoping to become a rather well-known designer of clothes and jewelry in the future, if at all possible. Supposing, of course, that she was able to live long enough into the future, somehow. She hoped that the Negaverse wouldn't actually be able to force Queen Serenity to give up her Kingdom to save as many of its inhabitants as she could somehow save, of course. But she realized that they very well might do so, just the same, in fact.

Tiffany soon moved a few of her stands or her models toward various walls in her chambers, as the need arose for her to do so, in fact. After she did so, all four of them retired either to her bed or to sleeping bags, as the need arose for them all here. Not long after they all did so, they were all quite soundly asleep again in her chambers.

* * *

One more chapter remains before we go back to Earth with our story again. In it, we will again see the Monitors/Scouts from Peru, who will train with six Junior Sailor Scouts, four of them being girls seen in this chapter, and Sentinel Serenity, for a little while. Unfortunately, Sentinel Serenity won't be able to stay very long with them, once certain news reaches her from Moon City. She will have to return to Moon City alone, and attend to certain Moon Kingdom-related business, much to her regret, at least.

A lot of tragic events are about to hit the Moon Kingdom, and quite a few of them are going to hit very close to home for certain important people currently associated with it. At least one of the Scouts now on Earth is about to suffer great loss for herself, if not more than one of them, but I'm still not going to say just who will, and when, and how. You'll all have to keep reading on and find out, folks.

Until the next chapter, then, I'll close this. TUS out.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Things are about to change permanently for the Moon Kingdom and many of the known sentients in it, but nobody knows just how for sure, not even Queen Serenity, as this chapter opens. And when it will, either, for that matter. Tragic events will force Queen Serenity back to Moon City, and she may not be able to leave Moon City for a while, once word of them reaches her well enough in this chapter.

As for those on Earth right now, they have absolutely no real idea what is about to happen very close to them, and to who, and all. Their life experiences to this point have generally not been ones that have adequately prepared them for what is about to happen for many of them, most likely, in their respective lives. They have never really known fear and danger and all as they will soon begin to know them, among other things, if that is sufficiently true for any or all of them. So when they learn about certain tragic events that happen elsewhere in the Sol system, they'll probably be quite devastated, to put it rather mildly, at least, at that.

With no further ado, then, I'll close this here. TUS out.

* * *

Main Dining Hall In The Imperial Palace

Moon City, Moon Kingdom, Moon

June 21, 987

The following morning, Sachiko, Questa, Placida, and Tiffany woke up by about seven or so local time. And they were in the Imperial Palace's main dining hall by eight in the morning, local time. When they got there, Queen Serenity was still alone in it, and eating her breakfast. Tiffany was the first of the girls to see her doing so.

She soon said, as soon as she was sufficiently close to Queen Serenity to do so in a quiet enough voice, "Hello, Queen Serenity. I wonder how you're feeling today."

"I'm fine, I suppose. I do miss Serena and several other people, of course, however, Tiffany."

The four girls began getting themselves some breakfasts. As they were making up their breakfasts, Tiffany soon asked, "Are you likely going to be able to try to train with us today?"

"I suppose that I could somehow make time for you four today, at least, Tiffany. I know you were all hoping that you could do it yesterday, but it just wasn't possible."

Sachiko said, "Maybe not. But I still wish we could have trained yesterday, Queen Serenity."

"As I'm sure that Questa and Placida do too, Sachiko. I don't expect to have as many things to deal with in terms of the government today as I did yesterday. So I might be able to train with you later on today. Maybe around midday local time, if nothing and nobody else makes it sufficiently impossible for me to do so here well enough, I might be able to do so, Sachiko Mikono."

"As you wish, Queen Serenity. Do you want us in one of the gardens before or after we transform to each of our respective Sailor Scout states of being?" All four of the girls finished making their breakfasts, no more than a few moments later. They then began bringing them all over to Queen Serenity's table, so that they could all then consume them all as needed, of course.

"No, girls. I want you four to get Junior Sailors Surveyor and Crystal. And I want you to teleport over to the Crystal Palace, in each of your respective Sailor Scout states of being, Sachiko. The Junior Sailor Surveyor that I want you to get is the one from the Moon, and not any of the other Surveyors that we currently have as Junior Sailor Scouts. Tell them both that you six will need to meet me at the Crystal Palace by midday local time. You're all to meet me in the Sailor Scout Garden there by then, unless I say otherwise soon enough beforehand."

Questa asked, "Then what should we do before we try to find them, once we get done here, Queen Serenity?"

The four girls began consuming their respective breakfasts just as Questa asked that question of Queen Serenity. Serenity thought for a moment, and then said, "Between the time that you get done here and the time that you have to start trying to find them, you can do whatever you so choose. But if you're not in the Sailor Scout Garden by the time that I am, if I can go there as well, I won't be very happy at all, of course, Questa. So please be there by the time that I am, if I can be, girls."

The five of them conversed for at least a little while longer while they all had their respective breakfasts. And as they did so, they also discussed things and people of at least some importance to any or all of them in their respective lives, as a matter of fact.

Eventually, Luna and Artemis found Queen Serenity there, and they briefly conversed with her as well, just as she was attending to her dirty dishes and things. The two cats and Queen Serenity conversed very quietly with each other in such a manner that the girls couldn't possibly hear what they were saying. For they were too far away to hear what was being said at the current time by the two cats and their Queen. After about five or so minutes of this, at most, then, Luna and Artemis left Serenity again just as quickly and as quietly as they'd earlier come to her.

Queen Serenity soon rejoined the young girls again, and she said, "I have other things that I must attend to right now. But I still hope to be able to meet you all in the Crystal Palace's Sailor Scout Garden by midday local time here. Please be there by then, so I don't have to go looking for you all, girls."

"Understood, Queen Serenity," said Placida, not more than a few seconds later, in any case at all. Queen Serenity left the main dining hall no more than a minute or two afterward. That left all four of the girls alone in the dining hall, of course.

Sachiko then asked, "Who wants to collect Moon Surveyor, and who wants to collect Crystal?"

Tiffany said, "I'll find Crystal."

Questa said, "I'll find Moon Surveyor."

"All right. Meet me in the Hebron Garden in your respective Sailor Scout states of being by 10:30 am local time, everyone. That way, we can be as sure as we possibly can be here we have all our necessary things before we have to go over to the Crystal Palace to meet the Queen again by midday local time, girls."

"Understood, Sachiko," said all of them, in turn, when the need arose for them all to do so here. Then the four of them soon split up to do whatever they either wanted or needed to do in the meantime.

* * *

Some time later, then, six Junior Sailor Scouts assembled in the Imperial Palace's Hebron Garden. And they were the Junior Sailors Rising Sun, Surveyor, Spyglass, Tranquility, Crystal, and Millennium. This particular Surveyor was a Junior Sailor Scout from the Moon. Her skin had a bit of a light purplish look to it, at least for the most part, if not entirely. As for Crystal, her skin was a few shades darker than the rest of her current companions, and it was more of a bronze color than the skins of her current companions were. Her skin was rather tanned, in fact, when it was compared to everyone else's skin here.

Surveyor was wearing a Sailor Scout uniform that was largely purple, gold, and sky blue in color. Her uniform's largely checkerboard-patterned neckerchief was mainly gold in color. Except where several purple-trimmed sky blue magnifying glasses were located on it, or wherever it had some sky blue trim on or near its edges. Her uniform's blouse was mainly purple with gold piping or lace trim. While her uniform's skirt was mostly gold with either some purple or sky blue piping or lace trim. On her blouse's shoulders, and outside the nearest edges of her neckerchief, there were two pins that looked like miniature magnifying glasses, as well, with one pin on each shoulder here. Her boots were mainly sky blue in color, except where there were gold-trimmed purple thunderbolts on them, or where there were purple-trimmed gold soles on them. As she joined her fellow Junior Sailor Scouts in the Hebron Garden, she was also wearing a belt from which hung several pouches of various sizes. Inside many, if not all, of these pouches, there were various martial arts weapons of various kinds, if nothing else as well in them at all.

As for Junior Sailor Crystal, her uniform's predominant colors were white, medium brown, pink, and pine green. Her blouse was mainly white, except where there was medium brown piping on it. The neckerchief that she now wore above her locket and her blouse was primarily pine green in color, except where there was some pink trim along each of its edges. Her uniform's skirt was mostly a medium brown in color, except where there was actually some pine green piping or trim on or near its edges. And unlike the various skirts of the rest of her current companions, her skirt was not pleated, whenever it didn't absolutely have to be, if she didn't want or need it to be pleated at all. Her boots were mostly pink with pine green trim, except where they had medium brown soles, or where they were covered by various sequins of various colors. Including, of course, white or colors like white, for all the obvious reasons.

Rising Sun soon accounted for all her current companions, and their things. Then she said, "Everyone, prepare for teleportation to the Crystal Palace, in very short order." After she said that, everyone put all their things in a pile, if they'd not already done so. Then they formed a circle by joining their hands together as needed.

No more than a few moments later, the Hebron Garden was empty again, after they'd left it behind again through teleportation. They were all light for not more than a minute or so, before they all again appeared in the Crystal Palace's Sailor Scout Garden. It was just before 10:40 am, local time, when they then were all once again completely solid in that specific Crystal Palace garden. They'd all materialized near the exact same pillar that Queen Serenity had accessed the same day that she'd made Serena and several members of her crowd at least temporary, if not permanent, Sailor Scouts in each of their respective lives. They then awaited Queen Serenity's arrival there, of course, as they'd been told to do earlier by her, for all the obvious reasons.

They waited about an hour or so in relative silence for her to meet them there. They were eventually joined there by Sentinel Serenity, who showed up there by no later than local midday. They briefly greeted her upon her arrival. She told them to pick up their things again, if they hadn't already done so by the time she'd joined them.

They did so, and after they did so well enough to suit her enough, she said, "We're all going to go to Crescent for a while, Scouts. We'll all be training there for the rest of the day and/or night, in very short order. But first, you'll all need to follow me underground."

When they didn't quite understand what she meant, she soon accessed the panel underneath the necessary pillar's top, and input the necessary code or codes through it as needed. That then almost immediately allowed them to access the tunnel leading to the required cavern under the Crystal Palace's main grounds, of course. She led them all to that cavern. Then, not too much later, that very same cavern was once again empty, for all the obvious reasons.

Everyone then materialized in the Double Earth Palace's South Garden. And they were met there by several Monitors who were also Sailor Scouts. Those several Monitors/Scouts, of course, were Amilaram, Sierra, Paquasim, Onziza, Firehawk, Enisangob, Sacala, and Ocabirama, quite naturally.

Amilaram and her seven fellow Monitors/Scouts were all there because they'd decided to visit a few of their friends there for a while, at least. Queen Serenity was quite surprised, in fact, to see all of them there again. This was for the simple reason that she'd thought that they'd actually be at their own Imperial Palace elsewhere in the Crescent area of the Moon.

Amilaram was the leader of the Monitors who were also Scouts. And the Imperial Palace that they'd come from earlier that same day wasn't actually of Moon origin. This was because it'd actually come from the part of Terra that'd later become rather well-known as "Peru," in fact, during a very fierce war that the Negaversers had recently enough just forced upon their people and the Moon Kingdom's people.

Amilaram soon asked, "Sentinel Serenity, who are these six Scouts, if I may ask you this here?"

"Amilaram, these Scouts are going to be training here at least for a while today, if not also tomorrow. Meaning on the grounds of this palace, in fact. These are other Junior Sailor Scouts besides the ones that you already know of, as well. Specifically, these particular Sailor Scouts are currently substituting for Junior Sailor Moon and other members of her crowd while they're otherwise occupied elsewhere in the solar system for us all. Where the ones you're all familiar with now are, I'll tell you, if and when I get a chance, before I have to return to Moon City again. But right now, I won't, for all the obvious reasons here." Sentinel Serenity soon introduced all of the other Scouts that she'd just come to Crescent with to the Peruvian Monitors/Scouts, just as soon as she could then do that here, quite naturally.

"Fine, Sentinel Serenity. We'll hold you to that promise, then, if at all possible, if we can, of course," Amilaram said to Queen Serenity just as soon as she could then do that here, of course.

"Fair enough, I suppose. Now I think that we should get these other Scouts settled down here enough for at least a little while, if at all possible, Amilaram."

The fifteen Scouts then parted for a little while, once they were all able to go to each of their respective chambers elsewhere in the Double Earth Palace of Crescent on the Moon. For every single one of them had earlier been assigned to various chambers in it at various times in each of their lives. Even the ones who were actually from Terra, and not just from any or all of the inhabited places of the Moon Kingdom, had been assigned to chambers there, as a matter of fact.

Two hours later, then, all fifteen of them returned to that garden of the Double Earth Palace, including Sentinel Serenity. Sentinel Serenity chose two teams of Scouts to train with each other for a while, after a bit more time had passed there. She soon afterward had Ocabirama join up with Rising Sun and the rest of the Moon-born Scouts now present, not counting Serenity, of course. That was so both teams could have the same number of Scouts on them, just in case she'd not be able to be with them enough in the near future.

Sentinel Serenity soon had them all training with each other in the South Garden of the Double Earth Palace, under her supervision, whenever possible. And she even trained a bit with them as well, whenever she could then do so, as a matter of fact.

But eventually, her responsibilities as Queen of the Moon Kingdom quite naturally forced her to leave for Moon City all by herself again. Rising Sun, for one, wasn't very happy about that, of course, once she learned that well enough. But she and the rest of the Sailor Scouts who were now here still dealt with it to the best of their respective abilities to do just that somehow, once Sentinel Serenity told them everything that they then needed to know at the current time.

Sentinel Serenity left for Moon City again by no later than about 6:20 pm local time. And she left for that place all by herself again, for all the obvious reasons. It seemed that some reports had come in for her from at least one of the various space stations that was now still orbiting the Moon, if not more than one of them. Reports that she'd then need to attend to back in Moon City as soon as possible, in fact.

It seemed that the Negaverse had been able to capture or destroy various merchant ships that were periodically traveling between the various inhabited worlds of the Moon Kingdom. Including at least one that was heading towards the outer planets of the solar system, if not more than one, as a matter of fact. Even with at least some escort by various Moon Kingdom warships, several merchant ships were either captured or destroyed by beings or spaceships from anywhere at all in the Negaverse, as well.

And Sentinel Serenity was quite naturally rather upset, of course, once she learned of the Negaverse's most recent activities anywhere else at all in the Moon Kingdom's current territory. She didn't know how she'd handle the matter of the convoys' troubles yet. And she didn't yet know if she'd somehow actually be able to come up with a suitable enough plan to slow or stop the loss of any more of the Moon Kingdom's various merchant ships, for all the obvious reasons, for as long as she could possibly do just that somehow, if at all.

The fourteen young girls weren't happy that Sentinel Serenity had to return without them to Moon City under the current conditions, quite naturally. But they still realized that sometimes things happened in life that nobody in their lives actually wanted to happen in them. Things like the loss of various people or things in them, for example.

After Serenity left, the girls eventually powered down again for at least a little while, if not a long while. And they all soon did whatever else came to their minds while they were still on the grounds of Crescent's Double Earth Palace anywhere at all on the Moon.

Sachiko, for instance, went to her chambers elsewhere on the palace's grounds. And she soon began working on a new pot, once she found some suitable enough clay in an alcove elsewhere in her chambers there. She set up a potter's wheel, and anything else that she'd need to set up, before she began work on that new pot, of course. She spent most of the next few hours after she returned to her chambers again working on it as much as she could, but not all of that time working on it, quite naturally, in fact. She only stopped working on it once she got either too hungry or too tired, if not both, for her to do so well enough, as well. And when she did either or both of those things here, she then cleaned up everything that she had to as quickly and as efficiently as possible, before she did either or both of those things here.

By 11:30 pm local time, then, she was already ready for bed, and beginning to get in her bed, for the rest of the night. And she was rather soundly sleeping again just before local midnight actually came to pass in the Crescent area of the Moon, in fact.

All her fellow Scouts who were also on the grounds of the Double Earth Palace in Crescent on the Moon had already been in their respective beds, and quite soundly asleep, for at least forty or so minutes before she'd finally gotten to sleep herself, if not even longer than that. No matter who they were, they were all quite soundly asleep by the time that she'd finally been able to fall asleep herself, in actual reality.

* * *

There's another chapter down, folks. We will be cutting back to Earth in the next chapter. Several sentients' lives are about to change forever, and not necessarily for the better. Will they be able to cope with what's coming up for them or not? Who will suffer great loss in the next chapter or next few chapters, and who won't? You'll all find out very soon, and I wonder what you're going to think when you find out who does, and all, of course.

Life as many currently know it in this story and its related series is about to change, and it will NEVER be the same again, for sure. How will it change, and what will happen because of the unwanted changes in many lives due to certain tragic events and all? Keep reading, and you should find out very soon, I'm quite sure, everyone.

Until the next chapter, then, please do feel quite free to try and figure out who's going to suffer great loss in this story starting with the next chapter's text, if and when you might like, folks. I will post again later for this story, after I get some more reviews to previously-posted chapters for volumes in this series. I have any number of other uncompleted projects to work on in the meantime, it seems, including some of my original fiction. And I won't say exactly when it is, but my next birthday is coming up very soon, and I really want to get at least some more work done for various other writing projects of mine by then, if I can, for sure. I would like to see at least ten to twenty decently-usable and decently-constructive reviews for any of the other volumes in this series, in total, if not more than ten to twenty for various chapters related to those other volumes. Or even for this story here, come to think of it. TUS out.


End file.
